AS Roma ultras on trial in Nice as anti-hooliganism tested | OneFootball

Thirteen AS Roma supporters were tried in Nice, accused of preparing violence on the eve of the 24 September Europa League tie, with hammers, knives and cutters seized. The verdict is due on Monday 15 December.

At an early December hearing, president Agnès Vadrot kept the 13 aligned as they denied any link to the gear, saying they were ordinary fans staying at a Cannes hotel. L'Équipe reports that one interviewee admitted coming to fight, yet he was not among the 13 charged.

Prosecutor Noémie Orihuela cited participation in a group preparing violence, carrying category D weapons and criminal association after city-centre arrests the previous night and custody on 24 September. Police moved pre-emptively to head off clashes, which complicated evidence gathering. Thirteen were remanded for weeks.

Defence lawyers said there was no planning and that liability is personal, with no weapon tied to a specific man. The prosecution sought up to eight months in jail and a five-year ban from France, citing 64 Ligue 1 matches marred by incidents and intelligence that high-risk Roma hooligans might arrive early as Nice fans gathered in the old town.

The fixture was rated four out of five for risk by the national anti-hooligan unit. Its chief Ronan Delcroix said French police liaised with Italian counterparts, who flagged a possible early arrival and later found groups gathered to attack Nice fans. Mayor Christian Estrosi’s bid to bar away fans failed, and zero-tolerance policing followed.

Source: L'Équipe