Jérôme Rothen, a former Paris Saint-Germain player, lamented in Rothen S’enflamme that the Paris club is not judged in the same way as other clubs, particularly when it comes to stadium outbursts. He took the example of the treatment meted out to 22-year-old Bradley Barcola on his return to Lyon last year, which didn’t move followers as much as the treatment meted out to Adrien Rabiot, a former Parisian titi. Nevertheless, he was adamant in his condemnation of all acts of violence, in all stadiums.
“I’m against any kind of misbehavior in stadiums. If we want to take action, all the stands have to be punished. How can we be indignant about the Parisians’ behavior towards Rabiot and accept Barcola’s treatment at Lyon last season?”
Rothen is absolutely right. In every stadium, you hear these kinds of violent verbal demonstrations. Only at PSG does it move everyone. Barcola and his family were copiously insulted in Lyon. Rabiot was thunderstruck at the Parc des Princes. Rabiot is right to take offence at the way he was treated at the stadium, but we mustn’t forget where he comes from, Marseille, and not forget to denounce what’s happening in his parish.
The Stade Vélodrome isn’t known for using only flowery words, so you have to be careful what you say. However, this is not a good thing for soccer. The best answer remains and will remain the pitch. Rabiot chose OM, a second-rate club, and he probably couldn’t have hoped for anything better.
