From Celebration to Tragedy — What the Paris Violence Teaches Us About Prevention
- International Association of ESD Professionals
- Reading time: 4 min
Urgant Call for Violence Prevention in Football
The recent tragedy that unfolded in Paris—where two people were killed and hundreds injured or arrested following Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League victory—was not an isolated incident. While the surface story is one of football celebrations gone wrong, the deeper truth is more complex and far-reaching. Behind the chaos lies a concerning and often overlooked pattern: the steady build-up of attitudes and behaviors that normalize violence long before a single bottle is thrown or street set ablaze.
From Harmless to Harmful
To understand this, we can turn to a powerful framework known as the Pyramid of Discrimination and Violence. This model illustrates how violence does not erupt spontaneously but grows from seemingly benign social norms and attitudes. At its foundation lie biased thoughts and stereotypes—those “harmless” jokes or chants that objectify, exclude, or demean others. These thoughts, when left unchallenged, evolve into discriminatory behaviors: denying others access, silencing voices, or treating people unequally based on identity, team affiliation, or ethnicity.
As we ascend the pyramid, the severity increases. Discrimination can turn into harassment, intimidation, and eventually physical violence. In football culture, this trajectory might begin with tribalism—us versus them thinking—manifesting in verbal abuse or discriminatory chants in the stadium. Over time, these attitudes may embolden some fans to act aggressively, particularly in high-stakes or emotionally charged contexts, such as a Champions League final. What happened in Paris wasn’t just a reaction to a game—it was the culmination of an environment where escalating aggression was allowed to fester unchecked.
The images of burned-out cars, terrified bystanders, and riot police clashing with mobs are tragic symptoms of a systemic issue. Yet they are also preventable.
Action Can't Wait: A Holistic Violence Prevention Solution
This is where The Strong Side, a new initiative from the Association of ESD Professionals, steps in. Their mission is to shift the culture of football fandom by addressing violence at every level of the pyramid. It’s not only a response to violence – it’s a proactive intervention that stops it before it sparks.
Through education and awareness, The Strong Side (TSS) challenges the prejudices that often take root in stadiums and online fan spaces. Engaging communities to build bridges across support groups, fostering respect even amid rivalry. TSS advocate for policies that hold individuals and organizations accountable when lines are crossed. Most importantly, it aims at creating safe spaces where fans can voice concerns, report abuse, and find support without fear of retaliation.
The violence in Paris is a wake-up call. It reminds us that violence is never an isolated act—it is the final stage in a chain of tolerated behaviors. To stop the top of the pyramid from being reached, we must act decisively at the bottom.
Join the Movement
So we leave you with this question: What are we willing to do — individually and collectively— to ensure football remains a celebration of sport, not a battleground of hate?