The Alpes-Maritimes prefect has barred anyone declaring or appearing to be an OGC Nice supporter from zones around the Allianz Riviera and the club’s training centre on Friday, widening the restrictions around a match that is already being played behind closed doors. Laurent Hottiaux signed the order on Wednesday, and it runs from Friday midday until the night between Friday and Saturday.
The timing matters because Nice’s play-off second leg against Saint-Étienne is due to kick off at 20:45 on Friday, with the return already set for an empty Allianz Riviera. The prefecture is not only targeting the stadium itself but also the approaches, nearby areas and the training centre, making clear that the ban covers behaviour that signals support, including shirts and chants.
Authorities said the presence of supporters on the public highway poses a real and serious risk to public order, and they added pyrotechnics, fuels, inflammable products, provocative banners and objects that could be used as projectiles to the list of banned items. Access is restricted on boulevard des jardiniers, rue Pancho Gonzalez and the A8 la Provençale, which means the order reaches well beyond the turnstiles and into the roads that feed the ground and the club’s training base.
The decision also leans on a pattern the prefecture says has been building for months. It cites repeated incidents involving Nice ultras, attempted clashes with Saint-Étienne fans in 2024, a pitch invasion against Metz 10 days ago and violence around the Coupe de France final that led to 65 people being taken into custody. Supporters were already excluded from the stands for two matches after trouble against Metz, yet the new order goes further by keeping them out of the surrounding streets even though the game itself will be played without spectators.
That is the sharpest sign of how cautious the authorities are treating this tie. The prefecture has also invoked the Vigipirate plan at urgence attentat level, and the national anti-hooliganism division has rated the match level 4, underlining that the risk assessment is being driven by more than what happens inside the stadium. With the first leg ending 0-0 on Tuesday, the return now arrives under a security cordon that treats any visible gathering of Nice support as a threat before a ball is kicked.
What remains unclear is whether many supporters were planning to show up anyway, despite the closed-doors backdrop and the broader ban. What is certain is that Friday’s second leg will be played in an empty Allianz Riviera, and anyone trying to turn up in Nice colours near the ground, the training centre or the access roads will be breaking an order that starts at midday and lasts through the night.
