Law enforcement officers intervened as Le Havre secured a 2-0 victory at Nantes on Sunday in a French league fixture that was suspended and later resumed during injury time after frustrated home supporters attempted to invade the pitch.
The officers formed a protective barrier before one of the stands, which houses the primary supporters’ group, known as Brigade Loire. Match official Jérôme Brisard subsequently escorted the players off the pitch, with merely three minutes of added time remaining.
Following the departure of Brigade Loire from the Stade de La Beaujoire, officials deemed the match safe to continue 35 minutes later, and the remaining three minutes proceeded in an eerie silence. The loss pushed eight-time French champions Nantes down to 16th position in the 18-team competition.
“To be honest, this caught us off guard. Such incidents are uncommon, though one can comprehend the supporters’ perspective,” Nantes forward Ignatius Ganago told broadcaster DAZN. “Results aren’t going our way. However, we players are also struggling.”
After Josué Casimir netted in the third minute for Le Havre, play was briefly halted when some home supporters threw tennis balls and toilet paper onto the field, with Nantes players assisting in clearing the pitch. Striker Steve Ngoura extended the advantage in the 74th minute for Le Havre, who moved ahead of Rennes into 14th place.
