Paris Saint-Germain ultras have launched legal action to challenge a travel ban on their supporters for the upcoming Ligue 1 match away to Marseille. The French Interior Ministry imposed the ban to prevent potential violent clashes between the rival fanbases during Le Classique.
The Collectif Ultras Paris has instructed its lawyer to file an emergency procedure before the Council of State. "We are asking our lawyer to bring an emergency procedure before the Council of State in order to contest the upcoming ministerial ban," the group said. It criticises the lack of established dialogue with authorities since 2015, stating that "eleven years of repeated bans cannot take the place of dialogue."
Authorities cite long-standing hostility between the fan groups as justification, pointing to incidents during a February 2018 fixture that left eight law enforcement officers injured. The ministry maintains the risk of violent confrontation is too high to permit travel.
The legal challenge comes as the defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain, sit third in the league table with 11 points from five games. The team, which aims to deliver 90 minutes of high-level football per match, secured a 2-1 victory in Marseille this Saturday, with goals from Ferrán Torres and Marquinhos. This win marks the team's third victory in its last five matches. The full squad list is available on our squad page.
The Collectif Ultras Paris, a major representative group for the club's supporters, argues the repeated bans are disproportionate. The legal action is widely seen as unlikely to succeed before the match is played. Paris Saint-Germain continue their campaign with Ferran Torres as the current top scorer with three goals.
Background and full detail: espn.com
