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CF Montreal closes Stade Saputo supporter section after repeated incidents

MLS’s CF Montreal closed the Stade Saputo supporter section after repeated incidents of violence, physical and verbal aggression, intimidation and vandalism.

The closure of section 132, the Stade Saputo supporter section, and a banning in relation to any and all official team events and initiatives came this weekend will last indefinitely.

According to a CF Montreal press release, a rash of incidents, recent and older, forced the team to take action. Besides the repeated incidents of violence and, intimidation, the team responded to numerous reports of unauthorized pyrotechnics, smoke bombs and incendiary devices in section 132. This includes the Ultras Montréal 2002 and affiliated groups, such as the Association des supporters (Impact Montréal) and Ultras Montréal. From the team’s press release:

Several requests, restrictions and warnings have been issued to representatives of section 132 by the organization in recent years, to no avail. As recently as August 27, supporters from section 132 were involved in confrontations with visiting supporters who were physically assaulted outside Stade Saputo.

As a result of behavior and other incidents that occurred on that day, Toronto FC made the request to not provide the required allocation of away tickets to any CF Montréal fans in the visiting supporter section for the game in Toronto on October 23. MLS is in full support of this as an exemption to the policy based on behavior and increased risk. The league has indicated that further action against the Club and its fans could result if this type of behavior continues.

Photo of Stade Saputo courtesy CF Montreal.

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August Publications