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Football fans in Algeria have always suffered, and this is not over, from poor management. During the last Algiers derby, between the USMA and the MCA, organizational and security problems made the headlines, with those responsible once again failing to provide the right conditions necessary for the success of the flagship super-poster of the season.
Ticket sales did not go as planned or desired. More than 50,000 tickets were put on sale to satisfy supporters, but the operation quickly degenerated the day before the match. Scenes of violence and clashes broke out around the July 5 stadium, as the few open counters were unable to meet the high demand, leading to long queues. Unsurprisingly, this kind of event almost becomes a routine, a bad habit.
Indeed, and in the absence of online sites dedicated to this event, in particular a sales platform for those who are helpless because they are forced to go to the ticket offices. For the bravest, going to the stadium was ultimately the only solution to acquire the precious ticket. We can imagine the rest, because, as soon as they opened, the excesses did not take long to erupt.
The thousands of young and old present at the ticket offices of the July 5 stadium did not digest the lunar decision to only open two of them in addition to decreeing their closure before noon! A catastrophic situation causing real riots, angry supporters will express their discontent by ransacking the premises.
Result of the races: supporters of both camps, returning home empty-handed, material damage, and even more serious, human costs. Several arrests took place, and a heavy toll showed numerous injuries, some of them serious according to certain sources. The chaotic management of this umpteenth event revealed serious organizational shortcomings and an inability to anticipate the strong demand from supporters.
The situation, which quickly degenerated around the Olympic stadium, transforming the place into a field of clashes opposing the police to supporters of Mouloudia and some of the USMA. These distressing scenes are all the more regrettable as the supporters only wanted to get their match tickets. However, they are not blameless, being equally responsible for unleashing this endless chaos.
The feeling of “hogra” was palpable, but resorting to violence is not the solution to these problems. The excesses could easily have caused irreversible damage, putting lives in danger and risking creating new “football martyrs”, a phenomenon that is unfortunately all too common in Algeria. Whose fault is it ? The answer is known!