Euro: “Do not make the revenge of 1998″ in Marseille – The Équipe.fr

Midi in Marseille, this is a time when England fans began to settle on the terraces of the Old Port, is a buy OM card game as souvenirs and take pictures with police because “” on vacation, it’s great and long live France! “ Amused, CRS play the game: ” it’s so rare that we request it. One benefits. Usually when we see on the pictures, that’s something else … “

” The key this time is that the police succeed to ensure that small scattered fights will not become general riots “

O’Malleys this Friday, late morning, the atmosphere is less tense than the day before. “Last night it was the same, the English were very quiet until tumble guys from the corner,” tells a server. “The English who were there, it really was not hooligans shaved head says Jean-Paul Debono, one of the patrons of the place. Some of them are mounted on chairs to sing but they were not there to create problems. There was no breakage. Then young landed … If there are incidents already, imagine when all the English will be there. We’ll have to channel the Marseillais, people of neighborhoods. We do not want a rematch of 1998. “

In 1998, an England-Tunisia in Marseille had degenerated into violent riots for several days. “The key this time is that the police manage to make small scattered fights will not become widespread rioting. And Thursday night, his answer seemed disproportionate “, the judge researcher Geoff Pearson, came to watch the Marseille crowd control method.

On the eve of the match against Russia, the English arrive Marseille dropper: they should be 25,000 to attend the meeting and many more in town without tickets, while a thousand police should be requisitioned on game day

“. for two months, we wondered if we had come to France, because of the terrorist risk “

on Thursday night, the British provocations singing ” ISIS, ISIS, where are you? ” ( “Islamic state, where are you?”) have soured things. Before the O’Malleys, having boasted to passersby the beauty of Marseille and re-ordered a pint, Darren, 47, earring and physical dry, black polo siglé Bradford, raises his voice: “Yes a handful of English sing it. For two months, we wondered if we had come to France, because of the risk of terrorism. The authorities have us understand that there was a risk. This song, it means: “We’re not afraid, we are here and we are in solidarity with you. ‘”

“must not take us for hooligans says Darren . I heard yesterday, it was gone into a spin because the English would be taken to Marseilles “black”. This is nonsense, this is propaganda. Look, there are black among us. “

” When an Englishman is attacked, it does not shrink. He argues “

While afternoons extends pints are connected and the English are beginning to give voice. Before the two pubs, they are tens to sing their “Come on England” , “God Save the Queen” and “10 German Bombers”. came the sound of batucadas set the mood, they are trying, with the grace of a piece of wood, capoeira movements. Russian fans themselves are, for now, few in the city center.

Darren was not there Thursday night but it was in Marseille in 1998. Craint- it only breed violence? “We are here to enjoy the weather, talk with the lovely people who welcome us with kindness and drink a few pints. We are not here to attack. But when English is attacked, it does not shrink. He says. “