PARIS (AP) — Riot police played their part as Le Havre won 2-0 at Nantes on Sunday in a French league match interrupted and then restarted during second-half stoppage time after disgruntled home fans tried to get on the field.
The police formed a line in front of one of the stands, which houses the main ultras group, called Brigade Loire. Referee Jérôme Brisard then led the players off, with only about three minutes remaining in stoppage time.
After the Brigade Loire had left the Stade de La Beaujoire, the match was deemed safe to resume 35 minutes later, and the final three minutes were played in a somber atmosphere. The defeat dropped eight-time French champion Nantes into 16th place in the 18-team league.
“Honestly we weren’t expecting that. It’s rare to experience this kind of thing, but you can understand things from a fan’s point of view,” Nantes striker Ignatius Ganago told match broadcaster DAZN. “We are not getting results. But it’s also difficult for us, the players.”
After Josué Casimir had scored in the third minute for Le Havre, the match was halted for a few minutes when tennis balls and toilet paper were thrown onto the pitch by some home fans, with Nantes players helping to clear the debris on the field. Forward Steve Ngoura doubled the lead in the 74th for Le Havre, which climbed above Rennes into 14th.
In Sunday’s late game, Nice rallied to beat midtable Strasbourg 2-1 and move up to fifth place.
Striker Dilane Bakwa put the Alsace-based side ahead in the 20th, before defender Melvin Bard equalized in the 54th from midfielder Sofiane Diop’s pass behind the defense.
Diop’s pass forced an own-goal from Abakar Sylla in the 62nd when trying to pass back to goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Nice is two points behind fourth-place Lille after 12 rounds.
