the trip of Rennes supporters to Lens supervised by the Pas-de-Calais prefecture
This Saturday, Rennes fans are expected in large numbers in the Stade Félix Bollaert-Delelis park in Lens for the match between Stade Rennais and RC Lens. The prefect of Pas-de-Calais issued an order this Thursday to supervise the arrival of the many Red and Black fans. Rennes supporters could neither circulate nor park in the city center of Lens and around the stadium until 7 p.m. on Saturday. A mandatory meeting point has been set rue Marcel Caron in Liévin, before the supporters are escorted to the stadium by the police from 7 p.m.
An order justified by “internal tensions” between the Rennes ultras
But this decree is not motivated only vaguely by possible clashes between supporters of the two clubs. To justify his decision, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais cites above all “the existence of recurring internal tensions between independent Rennes supporters and the ultra section of the Roazhon Celtic Kop leading to tensions between the two politically opposed groups“. The prefect also evokes a supposed past confrontation between the RCK and independents from Rennes, joined by the far-right independent group Youth Lens, during a previous trip from Lensois to Rennes. Still according to the prefecture, the intelligence services allegedly identified the arrival of at-risk supporters.