Turkish fans stormed a soccer field and physically assaulted players of the Homenetmen Valence team during a match on Sunday at the Drôme-Ardèche district of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, injuring two Armenian athletes, who were hospitalized with injuries sustained to their heads.
The Homenetmen Valence soccer team was playing a friendly match with FC Turquoise, a soccer club representing the Turkish community in France.
Following the first half of the match, at which time the Homenetmen Valence team was leading 2 to 1, Turkish supporters stormed the field and began brandishing knives and assaulting the Armenian players.
According to witnesses, punches were thrown, and racist and anti-Armenian slurs were heard. The match was immediately halted as police intervened. Several injured Homenetmen players sought medical attention at Valence Hospital, while players and officials from the Armenian team filed complaints at the Valence Police Station.
The Armenian community of Valence and several organizations reacted strongly to the incident. The local Armenian Revolutionary Federation chapter of Valence and Cordoning Committee of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) were among those that issued statements condemning the violence.
CCAF highlighted the broader significance of the violence, describing it as a manifestation of long-standing anti-Armenian hatred fueled by Turkey. The committee linked the incident to Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide and urged authorities, including the French Football Federation, to impose exemplary penalties.
The Armenian National Committee of France published a photo of the Turkish soccer players who were seen making the sign of the Turkish terrorist organization, the “Grey Wolves.”
According to the Paris-based Nouvelles Armenia, the match was proceeding without incident until that half-time points, when the attack happened with two Homenetmen Valence players being injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Local police arrived at the scene and dispersed the crowd. There are no reports of arrests.
“I strongly condemn the acts of violence that took place today during the football match between FC Turquoise and Homenetmen,” said Valence Mayor Nicolas Daragon.
“During a district soccer match, Turkish supporters, unhappy to see their team, FC Turquoise, trailing 2-0 against the French-Armenian club from Valence (Homenetmen), attacked the Armenian players with knives. This is called a racially motivated attack,” J-Christophe Buisson, the Deputy Editor of France’s Le Figaro newspaper said.
