Montpellier, France – Chaos erupted outside the football stadium in Montpellier on March 16 when X user Maxime posted a video showing people fleeing from police. The Ligue 1 clash between struggling Montpellier and Saint-Etienne had already been stopped in the 57th minute as crowd trouble spiraled out of control, leaving officials with no choice but to abandon the game. Saint-Etienne were ahead 2-0 when flares rained down onto the pitch, igniting a small fire in the stands at Stade de la Mosson. Security forces rushed in to quell the unrest before the referee announced the match was off, following orders from authorities.

Lucas Stassin had fired Saint-Etienne into a commanding lead with two goals, a vital boost for the 10-man side after losing a player before the break. Montpellier, however, slumped deeper into crisis. Coach Jean-Louis Gasset didn’t shy away from the truth, admitting, “This was almost inevitable.” His team remains stuck at the bottom of the table, five points behind Saint-Etienne, who are clinging to a spot just one point from the relegation play-off place and three from safety.

The drama didn’t end there. Overnight, the Saint-Etienne team hotel came under attack when fireworks lit up its facade at around 3:00 am local time. Police confirmed no one was hurt and damage was minimal, but the incident only heightened the tension after a night of turmoil.

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