Inquiry opened after remote-triggered smoke devices during Nancy v Grenoble | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, the Nancy prosecutor's office has opened a judicial investigation after remote-triggered smoke pots were found beneath seats in the away end at Nancy on Friday night. The devices were discovered after the Nancy v Grenoble match, which was halted twice. Initial steps have already been taken.

Play was first paused after 10 minutes when red smoke, AS Nancy-Lorraine’s colour, billowed from the away stand. Just before the hour, on 58 minutes, referee Mickaël Lesage sent the players inside as smoke intensified and Grenoble ultras threw seats. After nearly 40 minutes, the crisis unit restarted play and it finished 0-0.

The night also brought pre-match scuffles, and the Grenoble coach was stoned on the return journey. Questions remain over whether discriminatory chants also prompted the stoppage, whether Grenoble fans too activated flares, and how such devices were installed.

Saturday FC, the Nancy ultra group concerned, declined to comment and had not yet been contacted by the club. No official spoke on Friday night, with most either on holiday or abroad.

On Saturday morning, owners Krishen Sud & Chien Lee issued a statement calling the actions unacceptable and against the club’s values, expressing relief that there were no victims. They pledged to work with the authorities to establish the full circumstances, and insisted those responsible would be held to account.

Grenoble’s general manager Max Marty called it unprecedented and unacceptable, warning there could have been injuries. He plans talks with match delegates and the League, and did not rule out filing a complaint or pursuing joint action with the LFP.

The feud between the rival ultra groups, rooted in opposing politics, has festered for nearly 20 years. They almost clashed in the concourses before kick-off, apparently after a poorly closed door, at a fixture rated risk level 3 out of 5 by the DNLH. There appear to have been repeated organisational failings, and ASNL could face serious consequences over security obligations.

Source: L'Équipe