France's Biggest Derby Again Without Away Fans

Paris Saint-Germain supporters have been banned from traveling to the Ligue 1 derby against Olympique Marseille in the fifth round, according to a decree issued by the Interior Minister and published in the Official Gazette on Thursday. The measure aims to prevent "serious public order incidents," as reported by AFP.

"From Sunday at midnight, individual or collective travel by any means for anyone identifying as a Paris Saint-Germain supporter or behaving as such, to the Bouches-du-Rhône region," the order states. 

This decree follows a previous one from September 9th by the delegated police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, which prohibited any PSG supporter from accessing the Stade Vélodrome, as well as the center of Marseille. 

In his decree, the Interior Minister emphasized that in recent home matches, Marseille supporters "often exhibit aggressive behavior, leading to clashes between fans and vandalism towards law enforcement." He further stated that the relationship between PSG and Marseille supporters "has been fraught with hostility for many years," with numerous serious incidents occurring. 

"We will ask our lawyer to initiate an urgent procedure, appealing to the Council of State and challenging the ministerial ban," reacted the largest organized PSG fan group, who noted that this ban has been in effect for 11 years. "Since 2015, six prefects have changed, and dialogue has never been initiated with us," the French champions' fans remarked.