Bastia 1-1 Nice

'Very severe punishments and targeted'

The revelations of Balotelli, victim of racism at Bastia have created emotion. And OGC Nice firstly want to renew their support for the player. The pictures shown this weekend have shocked all. Whilst the Discipline Commission have taken on the case looking into  the events that took place during the last derby, Jean-Pierre Rivère provides us with his opinion on the prickly topic of punishments. In the same way he has reacted to previous incidents, the OGC Nice Chairman advocates above all an “individual” punishment of the guilty individuals.

“We can only be shocked by these actions. Racism is unacceptable, in a football stadium just as it is everywhere else” said the Rivère.

“We have been able to find out that these are isolated incidents committed by a minority. The images identify them. It’s at these people that we need to point the finger and it is these people that should be severely punished.

“From the moment when we enter a football stadium, we don’t lose our individual responsibility. We aren’t under the protection of a club or a group of supporters. Very severe punishments and targeted at the guilty individuals should be applied. It is not in punishing a stand, all the stadium, or the club that we will resolve the problem.