This Saturday in Angers, Paris Saint-Germain secured a 3-0 victory in the 31st round of Ligue 1 for the 2025-2026 season. However, only 300 of the 800 expected supporters were present in the away section of the Stade Raymond-Kopa. This was due to violence between two supporters’ groups traveling to the match. The Collectif Ultras Paris (UP Paris) subsequently cancelled their trip. Le Parisien provides details of this unfortunate event.
“A kind of ambush.”
A few hours before kickoff, the Parias Cohortis and Urban Paris met at a rest area on the A11 motorway near La Ferté-Bernard (Sarthe). This seemingly ordinary situation between groups from the same club traveling to a match occurred before violence erupted around the “UP” bus.
This group, formed in 2017 shortly after the founding of the CUP (Collectif Ultras Paris), was violently attacked by around forty members of Parias Cohortis, who got off their bus looking for a fight. The dozens of supporters inside the vehicle were then pelted with smoke bombs, tear gas, and other projectiles.
According to our information, the attackers, caught off guard in what appeared to be an ambush, decided not to retaliate and avoid a direct confrontation, citing the presence of women and children on board the bus. Informed of the incident, the CUP leadership decided to cancel the trip and send more than 500 people home.
“The club condemns in the strongest possible terms all forms of violence and will take appropriate action if necessary.”
According to our information, these clashes are part of a pattern of retaliation, deemed inevitable within the Auteuil stand following an attack orchestrated by the Urban Paris group in February.
When contacted, Paris Saint-Germain stated that it had been informed of the incidents and specified that it did not have precise information on the circumstances. “The club condemns in the strongest possible terms all forms of violence and will take appropriate action, if necessary, to guarantee the safety of all its supporters,” it stated.
Of course, it’s important to avoid conflating issues. Not all supporters or Ultras are violent. We can commend the CUP’s wisdom in canceling the trip, and we can expect further sanctions in response to such acts. Unfortunately, this is necessary, as violence has no place in football.
It’s terrible to see such stories in general, especially in the context of sport. It’s also worth noting that these are supporters of the same club. This makes it difficult to achieve the freedom so often demanded by the Ultras. One may not agree with the sanctions imposed by the Professional Football League or the travel bans issued by prefectural decree, but it’s hard not to understand this solution as long as such incidents occur.
We always hope for a shift in attitudes, even if it will be very difficult. It doesn’t stem specifically from football; it’s a much broader problem of violence. But who comes to football, which has many fans? And the vast majority of them know how to respect what it is, which implies respecting others.
