Sports Minister Condemns Ligue 1 Unrest: "We Cannot Tolerate This"

The final match of the 34th round in France's top football league held little sporting significance. Relegation was already confirmed for home side Nantes, while Toulouse sat comfortably mid-table, safe from the drop and out of contention for European spots. Despite this, midway through the first half, with the score still 0-0, dozens of masked home supporters began throwing flares onto the pitch and stormed the field.

Players retreated to the locker room, and Nantes' coach Vahid Halilhodžić, who at 73 had announced his retirement from coaching and was honored at the stadium before the game, attempted to calm the fans, but to no avail.

Following police intervention, the spectators returned to the stands, but the match did not resume. Head referee Stéphanie Frappart explained that local authorities ordered the cancellation for security reasons. “The prefect's decision was necessary. Such incidents cannot be tolerated. The perpetrators must be identified and severely punished,” stated Sports Minister Marina Ferrari, as reported by DPA.