Football: the France-Algeria fiasco, twenty years later – franceinfo

“What was supposed to be a big party turned into a huge mess.” It is with his words that Marie-George Buffet, Minister of Sports in the Jospin government, still qualifies today the only football match between France and Algeria, on October 6, 2001. A meeting at the Stade de France which never came to an end, marked by an invasion of the field of Algerian supporters a quarter of an hour from the end.

However, hopes were high: for the first time since the independence of Algeria in 1962, the national teams of the two countries were going to be measured on a football field. A highly symbolic meeting between the Blues and the Fennecs, classified as “high risk” as soon as it was announced in April 2000 – for which 400 additional stewards had been recruited.

Everything had started well. Before the meeting, the atmosphere is festive. “There was a huge burst of enthusiasm”, remembers Marie-Georges Buffet who remembers the “bus departures from [son] department”, crowded with “kids proudly wearing their swimsuits “.

But the tension is there as the match draws closer. The famous “One, two, three! Long live Algeria!” echoes in a colorful Stade de France full of red, green and white. The atmosphere is sulphurous: the Marseillaise is whistled, the Blues boo at each touch of the ball. “Like a meeting outside”, will ironize later Thierry Henry.

On the field, the French world champions dominate the meeting and lead quickly thanks to the achievements of Vincent Candela, Emmanuel Petit and Thierry Henry. Just before half-time, Djamel Belmadi reduced the mark, applauded by Fennecs fans, who jump for joy. Back from the locker room, Robert Pires scored a fourth goal. The one too many?

TO 4-1, the atmosphere changes. Twenty minutes later, in the 76th, the match changes. “A first lady, we will learn later that it was a young Lyonnaise, started the movement from the stands, then two or three other adults followed. There was then a devastating crowd effect and everyone went downstairs. “, says Marie-Georges Buffet. Hundreds of people run in all directions on the lawn, Algerian flag in hand. The meeting was interrupted for a few minutes.

Finally, the Portuguese referee decides to end the meeting. Annoyed by this decision, the supporters throw plastic bottles in the direction of the official stand, in which Lionel Jospin was installed. Hit by a projectile, Marie-George Buffet speaks at the microphone of the Stade de France to calm the situation. “Go home in peace and friendship”, launches in turn the president of the FFF, Claude Simonet, “copiously booed”, recalls the former Minister of Sports. Somehow the CRS evacuate the lawn. At the end of this eventful match, the police will proceed to seventeen arrests.

In the corridors of the Stade de France, a taste of the unfinished takes over. “It is a pity that this is wasted. We are disappointed”, explains the captain of the Blues, Marcel Desailly, at the end of the meeting. “The match kept all its promises and it was the victim of its own density of passion”, attempts to explain at the time the Algerian ambassador to France, Mohamed Ghouali.
A few days later, in the columns of the World, Claude Simonet did not hide his sadness either, pointing out that “this match could have shown, in a difficult period, that football could unite”.

A feeling shared by Marie-Georges Buffet: “I still have this feeling of immense waste. France and Algeria have a difficult but common history. This match was a great opportunity to bring our two nations together, to make this sporting event a symbol of cooperation.” A bitterness which, twenty years later, still haunts the former Minister of Sports. “I often think back to this episode with the feeling of having witnessed a complete failure.”