Bayern Munich fans display French banner in support of Saint-Étienne ultras
Supporters of Bayern Munich displayed a banner in French expressing solidarity with the threatened ultra groups of AS Saint-Étienne during Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. The banner, unveiled in the 67th minute of Bayern's 4-3 victory at the Allianz Arena, read: 'La passion ne se dissout pas, soutien aux ultras français' ('Passion cannot be dissolved, support to the French ultras'). The gesture was reported by Canal+ pitchside reporter Margot Dumont during the live broadcast.
The show of support from the German champions' fans references the recent threat of dissolution hanging over Saint-Étienne's main supporter groups, the Magic Fans and the Green Angels. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has recently revived the possibility of the groups being disbanded, a legal measure available to the government for groups deemed to pose a threat to public order. This has sparked a wave of solidarity within French football, with Olympique Lyonnais supporters also displaying a banner reading 'Non à la dissolution des groupes stéphanois' ('No to the dissolution of the Saint-Étienne groups') during their Ligue 1 match against Lorient last Sunday.
Saint-Étienne, a historic French club currently in Ligue 2, has a famously passionate and vocal support base. The Green Angels, founded in 1990, and the Magic Fans, founded in 1994, are central to the matchday atmosphere at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The potential dissolution of such groups is a contentious and politically sensitive issue in French football, often sparking debate about fan culture and security. The display in Munich, during one of European football's most-watched club fixtures, internationalizes the issue and brings significant external attention to the situation facing the Saint-Étienne ultras.
The gesture also evokes the deep historical ties between Bayern Munich and Saint-Étienne, which date back to a legendary European Cup semi-final in 1976. That epic two-legged tie, which Bayern won, is remembered for the intense atmosphere generated by the French supporters and forged a mutual respect between the clubs. The banner in 2026 serves as a modern echo of that historic connection, transcending rivalry to address a matter of fan identity and rights. The public support from prominent fan bases like those of Lyon and Bayern Munich places additional symbolic pressure on the French authorities as they consider their next steps regarding the Saint-Étienne groups.
