Saint-Etienne opens internal inquiry after Magic Fans fireworks

AS Saint-Etienne’s management has opened an internal inquiry after the Magic Fans set off fireworks during the Ligue 2 match against Nantes. The group was celebrating its 35th anniversary in the stands, but the scale of the display and the interruption of the match angered the club’s officials.

The incident came last Saturday, just after Augustine Boakye scored the goal that gave Saint-Etienne a 1-0 win in the 89th minute. As the game approached stoppage time, the Magic Fans launched a large firework display from Geoffroy-Guichard. Referee Gael Angoula stopped play. The display continued for several minutes; Saint-Etienne players then went towards the Kop Nord to ask supporters to stop, while flares were also being used.

The club knew that Kop Nord supporters intended to mark the group’s anniversary. That knowledge did not mean the display had been authorised. At preparatory meetings, officials had reminded supporters that flares were prohibited, and that fireworks were particularly forbidden. The response to the celebration was therefore not one of simple festive approval.

A source from Saint-Etienne summed up the club’s position: “Knowing that a risk exists does not mean authorising or endorsing it.” The same source said that, as before every match, ASSE had put significant checks and preventive measures in place, while acknowledging that risk cannot be eliminated entirely when attendance is high.

A club official also described the steps being taken: “We are analysing the incidents, strengthening appropriate measures and continuing a demanding dialogue with supporters’ groups and the authorities. Our priority remains everyone’s safety and protecting the club’s interests.” At the club’s offices in Etrat, the use of prohibited pyrotechnic devices was described as unacceptable, particularly when it endangers people or disrupts a match. The Magic Fans also did not share images of the flares and fireworks on their social media, a choice described as an implicit condemnation of those acts.

The inquiry comes against a backdrop of previous sanctions. Last season, the Kops were sanctioned for similar incidents. The matches against Clermont on 14 August and Grenoble on 22 August were then played without the Kops. Another such incident at Geoffroy-Guichard would be the stadium’s third of the season. The internal review is intended to examine what happened and assess which measures should be strengthened, with public safety and the consequences for the club at the heart of its response.