The act that shocks France: football fans “attack boy (8) with terminal cancer and burn his shirt” | Abroad

What should have been a great experience for eight-year-old Kenzo turned into a nightmare. The sick boy, a fan of Marseille, was invited by the Rotary club to attend the match in Ajaccio and meet the players of Marseille. Kenzo was allowed to sit in the Air Corsica box with his parents.

When the players entered the field, his mother allowed the child to put on an Olympique Marseille football shirt. The father then took his son on his arm so that he could see the players better. And then the horrors would have begun.

Kenzo and his father were attacked by some hooligans. “They pushed my son and he hit his head against the railing. They punched my husband in the face. The hooligans ripped the shirts off their bodies and burned them,” the shocked mother told local newspaper Corse Matin. However, the public prosecutor’s office could not confirm that last element, reports ‘France Bleu’. According to information from ‘France Bleu’, an Olympique Marseille shirt was indeed burned outside the stadium on Saturday evening, without it being known exactly when.

A member of the Corsican supporters’ club Orsi Ribelli has claimed that only the father took blows for provocation. The police have launched an investigation to find out the true cause. Camera images and testimonials can also help to bring clarity. Meanwhile, the events are reacted with horror.

Sandra Peraldi, the president of Rotary Ajaccio, can hardly find words for the terrible incident. “Little Kenzo realizes all too well that he is very ill. He is gradually losing his sight because of the tumor,” she says. “He told me: ‘Before I can’t see anything anymore, I want to see Olympique Marseille play in Ajaccio’. The boy thought that everything was going to be wonderful. Those fools traumatized him.”

The Corsican club has also reacted to the incident and expressed regret. The fans’ behavior was “unforgivable” and they will be prosecuted. “These individuals in no way represent the values ​​of our club and our island,” reads a press release from the club. “Even the most extreme stupidity cannot justify this behaviour. The club strongly condemns these terrible acts.”

The club has apologized to Kenzo’s family: “We accompanied Kenzo and his family to the changing rooms, where he met the players of Ajaccio and Marseille. We regret what happened.”

Little Kenzo finally left the stadium with an AC Ajaccio shirt. According to his mother, the boy is in shock from the incident. The meeting with the players helped him a little bit to process what happened.

The French president has also responded in front of BFMTV’s camera. “It is totally unacceptable. I think of Kenzo and his parents. He has to fight and fights against his illness with great courage. He is a loyal supporter and nothing justifies this behavior,” Emmanuel Macron concluded. He called for “clear” and “strong” sanctions.