By David Gold
May 22 – Montpellier’s first ever French Ligue 1 title was marred as Auxerre fans caused chaos and two delays during the crucial game between the two sides at the Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps.
Auxerre were relegated from Ligue 1 for the first time in their history the previous weekend and knew that if they did not beat Montpellier their opponents would win the title.
Although hosts Auxerre took the lead, Rene Girard’s side fought back to win 2-1 and claim one of European football’s more remarkable league title successes following the club’s promotion to the top flight only three years ago.
It was after the equalising goal for Montpellier during the second half that the problems began, with Auxerre fans throwing tennis balls, tomatoes and toilet paper (pictured top) onto the field in frustration, causing a 10-minute delay.
Riot police were called in, and although play resumed eventually, a second halt occurred after fans threw flares onto the pitch.
Auxerre’s demotion was a huge blow to the club, one of France’s most famous football institutions, which, under former manager Guy Roux, rose from obscurity into the top flight, won the league and have since crossed paths with some of Europe’s biggest teams.
They also produced some of the finest players in the country, such as Eric Cantona and current national coach Laurent Blanc.
So unlikely was Montpellier’s title victory (pictured above, fans celebrating), their owner Louis Nicollin mocked his title rivals earlier in the season, saying colourfully that if he were the owner of the likes of Lyon, Marseille or Paris St Germain, he would stab himself “in his backside” if Montpellier – a club of reportedly modest resources – won the title.
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