Paris Saint-Germain won't make available tickets to its fans for
away games until further notice following the beating of a
supporter before a French league match, the club president said
Tuesday.
A PSG fan was injured in a fight between rival factions of
hooligans from the club before the 3-0 home loss to Marseille last
weekend.
The 38-year-old fan sustained a serious head injury and was
in a critical condition.
"Images of a man lying in his blood at the foot of the Parc
des Princes run through my head these past two nights," Robin
Leproux told a press conference. "We reached a climax of violence
... I take my share of responsibility."
Leproux said he decided to bar supporters from travelling "to
act responsibly and guarantee security for all."
PSG fans' offices will also be closed and the club won't
appeal if it is sentenced to play matches behind closed doors.
The clashes involved hooligans from the two main stands at
PSG's stadium Parc des Princes, the Tribune d'Auteuil and the Kop
of Boulogne.
A 30-year-old man suspected of taking part in the beating was
arrested just after the fight and has been held in detention.
Marseille fans had boycotted the game to protest against
security measures imposed on visiting supporters.
French Sports minister Rama Yade will have a meeting with PSG
officials in the coming days while Leproux will meet Paris's police
prefect on Wednesday.
Following several months of relative tranquility, Kop of
Boulogne and Auteuil fans - angered by their team's poor results
and a mutual opposition to the club's chief backer, Colony Capital
- started fighting again at the end of last year and clashed
violently at Lille in January.
Last August, a PSG fan lost an eye after being hit by a
bottle of beer during clashes with Montpellier fans.
On Nov. 23, 2006, a member of a group called the Boulogne
Boys was shot and killed by a police officer after a UEFA Cup match
between PSG and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
The policeman was protecting a Jewish fan under attack from
thugs shouting anti-Semitic epithets.
PSG is 12th in the league with 33 points from 26 games, a
performance that hardly matches its early season ambition to
qualify for the Champions League.
