Notorious Club Brugge hooligan who threw a chair in the face of a Cercle fan receives a prison sentence and a stadium ban: “He only wanted to cause problems”

The police stationed themselves at Café Bras (left). Before the match there was also a confrontation with the North Fanatics. — © if

Brugge

The 32-year-old from Bruges BC has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence, an 800 euro fine and a two-year stadium ban by the judge for his part in a serious brawl after the city derby between Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge in February last year. BC threw a patio chair in the face of a Cercle fan.

Even before the match on Sunday, February 19, 2023 in the Jan Breydel Stadium, there was a confrontation along the Gistelse Steenweg between the police and the North Fanatics 2013, a hard supporter group of Club Brugge. There were no riots at the time, but after the match – which ended in a draw – there was a violent confrontation between supporters of both teams at Café Bras op ‘t Zand.

About twenty supporters fought with each other and a flare was even shot at the door of the catering business. The massive police presence was able to quickly diffuse the situation. About eighteen people present had to make a statement and were then allowed to dispose of it.

READ ALSO. Fans Club Brugge and Cercle come to blows, flare shot in café: “I have razor-sharp images of the perpetrators”

But for Club supporter BC (32), the incident took another turn. During the incident, the Bruges native threw a terrace chair in the face of a Cercle fan, who suffered a cut. According to the public prosecutor’s office, this was premeditated. “He deliberately sought confrontation after the match,” said prosecutor Fauve Nowé. “This was a raid on the enemy’s cafe and supporters.”

Not ready for a test piece

BC was far from ready for his test piece. “His hooligan past goes back to 2009,” he said. “He has been stringing together administrative fines and stadium bans for fourteen years. He also had convictions for drug offenses and assault. Drink, drugs and violence run like a common thread through his life. Hooligans like him must be banned from the stadium and the surrounding area.”

BC came to account without a lawyer and washed its hands of innocence. According to his own words, he came with six friends for a beer on ‘t Zand. “After all, the police did not allow us to go to the Platse,” he said. “Suddenly people came storming out of Café Bras and started pelting us with all kinds of things. I threw that chair back, but not to hit anyone.”

The defendant denied that he intended to fight or that the incident was related to the match. But the court dismissed those claims. “Camera images show how the defendant pulls a black scarf above his nose before entering the café,” the verdict said. “He clearly had the intention to cause problems. The fact that the defendant belonged to a group of Club supporters and the victim to a group of Cercle supporters proves that the facts were part of the match.”

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