Goalkeeper in France stretchered off as firecracker incident ends match between Clermont vs. Montpellier

Clermont Foot’s Mory Diaw was stretchered off together with his workforce 4-2 down away at Montpellier HSC in Ligue 1 after a firecracker was thrown by home supporters. The projectile landed on the goalkeeper’s ft and exploded which led to officers taking each groups off the sector at Stade de la Mosson and the choice was later taken to not end the sport.

“I really feel disgust, disillusionment, and lots of disappointment,” said Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin in a postgame press conference. “It’s a feeling of disgust that some fool throws one thing from the stands at a sure level which turns into insufferable and surreal. I hope that Clermont’s goalkeeper is okay — I’ve not seen the footage, however I hope that he can return together with his teammates.

“It isn’t for lack of warning about fireworks or firecrackers, however they (the followers) don’t care. If you make investments your self and attempt to do your greatest and that is the way it finally ends up … We’re projecting a picture of a membership that’s not ours — it’s deplorable. There’s lots of disgust for the gamers, the employees, and Clermont. It’s disrespectful in direction of the those who we try to welcome.”

Hosts Montpellier had been 4-2 forward with minutes of added time left to play when the incident occurred which noticed Diaw fall to the bottom after the explosion with medical employees speeding on to succeed in him. The 30-year-old shot stopper was surrounded by teammates together with substitute Neto Borges who noticed purple for exhibiting his center finger to Montpellier followers in response to the incident.

“I’m not a health care provider and it isn’t for me to evaluate,” mentioned Nicollin of whether or not or not the sport may have been completed. “The sport is sacred, and we should always not throw issues from the stands at anybody. It isn’t for me to elucidate that — it’s nearly respect. I used to be instructed that the firecracker landed 1.5 meters away from the goalkeeper, whether or not it’s robust or not robust, there are penalties. You shouldn’t toss stuff at a participant. We’re educated, raised, and we’re not right here to throw issues at folks.”

Safety recognized the supporter who threw the projectile at Diaw whereas referee Florent Batta determined to definitively finish the sport after Clermont’s team doctor confirmed that the France-born Senegal international was in no fit state to end the encounter, based on Le Parisien. Diaw helped Clermont to an sudden eighth positioned end in Ligue 1 final season and the Paris Saint-Germain youth product stored a clear sheet in a shutout in opposition to PSG final week.

“We are sometimes criticized for not having ambitions, however with idiots like this, we is not going to have any ambition,” added Nicollin. “It’s painful and exhausting. I consider my coach and my gamers who placed on an awesome efficiency with ten males, and the consequence was there. The league will certainly summon us. We can be summoned by the disciplinary committee, and they’ll inform us what to do. 

“My solely remorse is that we may have been sixth or seventh tonight with Clermont ten factors behind us. We’d should play in Nantes whereas being within the relegation zone once we may have probably been European contenders. All due to some fool — and I’m being well mannered — it’s purely scandalous. For as soon as, once we may have shifted to the optimistic aspect, we may have had season, however now we are going to battle and battle for survival due to folks like this.”

Clermont have publicly stated their support for victim Diaw whereas there may be but to be any official response from the Skilled Soccer League (LFP) to the incident. Earlier punishments have resulted in partial or full stadium bans in addition to factors deductions which can be determined within the coming weeks with an investigation to happen first.