Manchester United Fans: Should Lille be thrown out of the Champions League?
Based on all the fuss that went on after Giggsy’s freekick, there have been rumours that Lille could be ejected from the 2nd round after the manager was seen to have called the players off to the touchline and refuse to continue until they had protested to the ref.
If you add the crowd trouble at the beginning and end of the game (flares, tear gas, missiles, etc), there’s not much to be said in Lille’s defence.
Manchester United for one would welcome not having to play the return leg – despite the value of playing against European opposition in a crunch game (in revenues and as preparation for the quarterfinals), Manchester United would welcome the break.
Personally though, I’m against throwing Lille out. No, not because I want Manchester United to thump Lille senseless. I say this because playing in the game will help Lille grow as a team and as a club, and that is FIFA’s and UEFA’s primary responsibility.
If a team like Inter or Manchester United fail to control their team and crowd, there’s legitimate cause for dismissal. As I said here, Lille are woefully inexprienced and had no idea how to react to the circumstances.
Lille’s punishment should be a fine and a warning that the next infraction will have serious consequences such as playing behind closed doors or not playing at all.
As for the tensions between Lille and Manchester United, Ferguson and Puel should meet up, sort out their differences and get it over with. Lille got it wrong, but Ferguson was wrong to attack them too.
What do you guys think? Should Lille be booted? Should United and Lille make up?
Topics: Manchester United, UEFA Champions League
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Does anyone understand the comments by the Lille coach/defender that if Giggs had done what he did in the French league, he would have been booked? Call me crazy, but I was under the impression all of the UEFA leagues played by the same rule book. Or is it just poor little Lille team coming up with excuses why the big mean, referee-siding United won undeservedly?
February 21st, 2007 @ 16:55“will help Lille grow as a team and as a club, and that is FIFA’s and UEFA’s primary responsibility” – like most who write on this website this author has little understanding of the issues he addresses. The notion that this platitude represents the remit of the football organisation is vapid and intellectually lazy. The sport’s governing body is reponsible for organising a competition which is properly refereed, policed and managed. This is does not do. The consequqnces are equally clear.
February 21st, 2007 @ 17:01No, I don`t think they should be thrown out but heavy fine should be imposed.
February 21st, 2007 @ 17:14Yes I think they should be thrown out. What happened in the stands could have turned into a disaster.
February 21st, 2007 @ 18:06No, I also don’t think they should be thrown out, but a heavy fine should be imposed.
February 21st, 2007 @ 19:02To throw them out will be bad for everybody concerned, Lille, EUFA, TV, ManU, etc.
*Police were a disgrace
*the team were a disgrace
*the fans were a disgrace
*the pitch was a disgrace
They are a disgrace to the competition FACT
February 21st, 2007 @ 19:19Kick them out, they are not worthy, days before the tie even kicked off they were shouting they’re mouths off about the stick we were going to get, it shouldn’t be allowed! DISGRACEFUL!
Lille are woefully inexprienced and had no idea how to react to the circumstances.
Uh…they’re PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS, they play in the top flight in France and have participated in 3 Champions League competitions this decade. “Inexperience” is no excuse for disgraceful behavior by a professional sporting club, they’re not a pub team FFS!!
Moreover, the assertion that helping Lille “grow as a team” is “FIFA’s and UEFA’s primary responsibility” is ludicrous…FIFA and UEFA’s primary responsibility is to present football to the fans of Europe and the world in the most professional and entertaining way possible while ensuring the safety of everyone concerned.
If Lille can’t control themselves, it’s not UEFA’s responsibility to teach them how…they can f*ck off to their own league and let a more responsibile team represent France in the continent’s showcase club competition.
February 21st, 2007 @ 22:13What everyone fails to understand is that the French are always right……..
February 21st, 2007 @ 22:22they should be thrown out. End of
February 22nd, 2007 @ 03:57By the way UEFA receive complaint from Lille about Giggs goal. They are idiots!
February 22nd, 2007 @ 05:04*received
February 22nd, 2007 @ 05:35I can just imagine the compalint:
February 22nd, 2007 @ 13:42The referee was clearly biased towards the big club. In fact we saw him wearing a United shirt under his kit, and he and SAF shared a bottle of port after the match. Proof? Are you accusing us of lying!? Clearly the referee can be seen telling our players that they must wait for the whistle, then telling this Welshman Ryan Giggs he can shoot, then trips our tallest defender, throws a coin at the keeper to distract him and then moons the fans to incense them! It all happened because we are a small team!
Yes, they should be thrown out. Look how they reacted. Idioits. Also giggs goal does count because players have done that before like Thierry Henry against villa, and they have counted as a goal. Why not ours!!!
February 22nd, 2007 @ 23:32no they should not be kicked out because i have tickets for the return leg and i am going to be very angry if it does get scrapped.
February 23rd, 2007 @ 04:51Actually come to thinking of it.
If Lille do get thrown out then whaqt MUFC should do is allocate those reutrn tickets for the quarter final home leg.
February 23rd, 2007 @ 15:08I wouldn’t mind that
I was in France with Man Utd Travel of whom I always do my trips abroad with and had a genuine match ticket presented to me at the airport from a Man Utd Official.
Me and my friends approached the ground with about 30 minutes to spare before kick off, on approaching the 1st gate we were made to wait 10 minutes or so in which a large crowd was building. I thought it was odd as we were then let through to walk down an alleyway alongside the train tracks that 2 people could just about walk down shoulder to shoulder and not thousands of fans, it didn’t even look like part of the infrastructure of the stadium and that we were just being led away from the ground.
On entering the ground we could see that it didn’t matter where you stood, you could not find your allocated seat number as fans were being forced through and made to stand wherever they could find a space. I thought it strange that the stand was virtually full and yet Fans were still streaming in.
I stood about 10 rows up on the right hand section of the stand just to the right of one of the main walkways which was also full of fans, but shouldn’t have been as it was a main exit walkway. I also observed that the main exit gates to the rear of the stand were bolted shut.
The atmosphere was very light and united fans were in good spirits. However about 10-12 minutes into the game from no-where I was knocked off my feet and flung forward. In my panic I thought the stand was collapsing such was the force of the fall. Myself like most united fans in a daze at the time just wanted to get out, many of the fans climbed the railings in a panic to avoid being crushed again. As they tried to scale the security fence I could clearly see fans being hit by the French Police with Batons and a few seconds later I could feel the effects of CS Gas.
I was completely flabbergasted as to why CS Gas was being emitted into the crowd when there were clearly no fans brawling, just angry supporters calling on the police and officials to get the front gates open so that the injured could be led away for urgent assistance and the crush could be eased off.
After the CS Gas had died down I came out of that section and was allowed to enter the higher section to the right of the ground in the corner.
I couldn’t believe what had happened especially with Cs Gas being sprayed. I expect that when the French Police saw the Fans being bundled over in the stands they presumed we were causing a riot or trouble which just wasn’t the case and common sense should have prevailed with all united fans being in a secured enclosure with 15 foot high metal fencing.
I felt appalled at what I had been through, but more so for the way we were treated. United fans record abroad in my opinion is impeccable having been to watch united for the last 2 or so years at nearly every game home and away.
It does put me in doubt as to whether I should go on an away trip to Europe again as I can honestly say I had never been so frightened in all my life.
Having also heard the reports coming out of France today that the game should be replayed and worse still united should be kicked out of Europe is just a disgrace as the French officials got it completely wrong.
Last year I went to Paris and the Stadde Du France was a fantastic stadium with plenty of room. This year lens stadium was picked for its old fashioned looks & feel and so United Players and Fans could be intimidated.
Well it certainly worked for them.
I have a small bit of video footage on my phone in which I tried to capture the French Police actions, but a minute into this the effects of CS Gas can be seen with fans trying to cover their faces and I myself ducked down to cover where I stopped filming, if you wish I can send this from my phone.
Regards,
February 23rd, 2007 @ 22:06Jason Barr.
Also see this.
February 23rd, 2007 @ 22:26replay the game again!!!!!!!!
February 28th, 2007 @ 02:02