By Christophe Michel
PARIS, Feb 27 - Paris St Germain chairman Pierre
Blayau said on Monday the French club had been "taken hostage"
by rival groups of soccer hooligans who ransacked a motorway
service station on their way back from a match at the weekend.
"I want to state my indignation and my dismay after acts of
such gravity, which are not the acts of true supporters but of
common law criminals," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"The problem is that these people claim to belong to
official groups of supporters who can't control them any more.
"We are in very serious situation which has nothing to do
with the club. PSG have been taken hostage."
Fighting between the "Tigris Mystics" and the "Boulogne
Independents" broke out during the first division match in
Nantes where PSG were held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday evening.
Police separated the two rival groups who clashed again at a
service station on the motorway near Ancenis in western France.
After fighting, they ransacked a shop.
Police said five people were injured and 22 arrested. Most
were released although at least four could be charged.
PSG entertain arch-rivals Olympique Marseille this weekend
in a league game which is usually treated as a high-risk match.
"We'll have to find the means to fight hooliganism. We'll
have to take measures," Blayau said.
Fighting betwwen PSG hooligans before a home game against
Nantes in October led to the arrest of 85 people at the Parc des
Princes. Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy said at the time he
wanted violent fans to be banned from stadiums.
"I want these (supporters') associations to be banned and
broken up. Someone whose picture is taken while doing the Hitler
salute is not a fan, he is a lout. He should not be let into a
stadium," he said.
"Our policy is very simple. We want to get rid of the louts
in our stadiums. Families should be able to come back to
soccer stadiums."