When football season around the world stopped in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic, people were in shock, but the most popular sport soon returned to the empty stadiums. And when first set of fans began to return in 2021, it seemed that everybody was happy. But now, just ahead of the new season, all European leagues brought a detailed set of rules for fans entry. And not everybody is happy about it.In France, a large group of Montpellier Herault fans officially announced that they are boycotting football matches in Ligue 1 due to new Covid-19 rules, which are asking fans to provide a health pass in order to enter the stadium. The Armata Ultras 2002 and the Butte Paillade 1991, two of the club’s main groups of supporters, called for a boycott.This is absolutely EPIC.. tens of thousands of protesters pouring into Montpellier, France to protest medical tyranny #FranceProtests #WorldwideDemonstration pic.twitter.com/L8vrDIKYSq— Pelham_3 (@Resist_03) July 24, 2021 Event thou this measure is made in order to allow fans to finally come to the stadium, some opponents see it as a liberticidal drift, while the subject is historically very sensitive for the ultras, who have often fought against the registration of supporters and travel restrictions.”We, Ultras of Montpellier, have decided not to comply with the liberticidal measures generated by the” Sanitary Pass”. On the whole, we are neither ” conspirators”, nor conformists, nor anti or pro-vaccines, we are French people, fathers of families, sons of grandsons of potentially vulnerable people. Above the political and financial considerations linked to Covid, we simply refuse the establishment of a dictatorship insidious, the dictatorship of “it is for your good” We want to be united and not to kneel down, even if it means depriving us of places of conviviality that we cherish, like the Stade de la Mosson“ they declared in a press release.Banished and banned: Sinner Sakho leaves England and signs for Montpellier in his homelandThe new rule applies from July 21, and the fans are obligated to present a health pass to access a stadium, as the rule applies to event with more than 50 people, as confirmed by Prime Minister Jean Castex in an interview with L’Equipe.”The health crisis is not over, but before that, the only weapons we had were the closure, the ban on certain activities or the gauges. We were able to free ourselves from them because the health situation has improved in such a way. We can play on vaccination which is our new and best weapon” he said for L’Equipe.As the season draws neared, it will be interesting to see if other supporters will take such a drastic measure just because they need be vaccinated.
