«We witnessed a mass pitch invasion by supporters along with pyrotechnic activity and object throwing. This forced officials and both teams to retreat to the locker rooms,» announced the French Football League (LFP) delegate Olivier Chovaux during an emergency press conference held shortly after 22:00.

«The match will not resume. The prefect has decided to definitively abandon the game for safety reasons,» stated referee Stéphanie Frappart, nearly 40 minutes after the initial interruption. Her announcement was met with cheers from Nantes ultras in the stands. The stadium was later cleared following additional flare activity.

Minister condemns violent scenes

Following the abandonment, France’s Sports Minister Marina Ferrari issued a strong condemnation: «The scenes of violence that unfolded minutes ago during the FC Nantes vs Toulouse FC match are unacceptable and have no place in sport or our Republic. I condemn these actions in the strongest terms and extend my support to the players and peaceful supporters who came to enjoy the game. The prefect’s decision to definitively abandon the match was necessary. Such behavior cannot be tolerated. I commend the swift intervention of stadium stewards and law enforcement. All parties must take responsibility to identify those responsible for these acts of violence, who will face the strictest possible sanctions.»

The match was halted at the 22-minute mark with the score still blank (0-0) after Nantes supporters stormed the pitch in response to flare throwing and object launches. Referees ordered both teams back to the locker rooms. Referee Stéphanie Frappart encountered significant difficulty persuading Vahid Halilhodzic, Nantes’ head coach, to leave the pitch as he confronted approaching supporters, barely restrained by security personnel. After several tense minutes, the Nantes ultras retreated to their section, secured by riot police. With this result, Nantes, currently 17th and one point from safety, will be relegated to Ligue 2 for the upcoming season.