RC Lens supporters have vowed to take protest action against the club following a humiliating 9-1 Champions League defeat against Italian side Como.
Five major supporter associations published a joint statement on Friday morning condemning the squad for what they described as an indelible stain on the history of the French club.
The collapse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Wednesday was the fourth round of matches in Europe's elite competition and marked the first time any team had conceded nine goals at home in Champions League history.
Allegations of dressing room betrayal
The joint statement was released by the Red Tigers, the Kop Sang et Or, the North Devils, Lens 1906 and the Artois Lens Boys under the heading You have broken Racing's code of honour.
The groups directed their anger squarely at club executives and players after watching their team capitulate in front of their home supporters against the Serie A side.
Supporters denounced what they described as unacceptable behaviour from the players on the pitch, arguing that a collective and concerted decision had been taken inside the dressing room before kickoff not to honour the club crest.
The fan coalition also recalled that the European humiliation came only days after another painful setback, having lost 1-0 at home against regional rivals Lille in the Derby du Nord.
Unprecedented European records
The result entered Lens into European football history in disastrous fashion, representing the heaviest defeat ever suffered by a French club in the tournament.
The supporter organisations stressed that the rout was far more than an ordinary defeat, stating that it placed Racing into Champions League records for years and decades to come.
Supporters added that with every passing season they would now be forced to hear that the competition's heaviest loss belonged to their beloved team, arguing that the situation went far beyond what could ever be considered acceptable.
The associations insisted that a red line had been crossed, maintaining that the players should never have displayed an attitude that left observers wondering whether their failure to compete had been intentional.
Crossing that threshold, the statement argued, caused lasting damage to both the soul and the historical legacy of the club.
Broadcast controversy and media reaction
The aftermath of the match provoked sharp reactions across the French media, with national commentators describing the team as ridiculous after conceding nine goals to the Italian visitors.
The controversy also touched domestic sports broadcasting after a journalist for television network Canal+ inadvertently left his microphone open during coverage.
The broadcaster revealed on air that he had pocketed several hundred euros after placing a successful bet on Lens to lose the fixture.
Supporter culture and local heritage
Racing Club de Lens, affectionately known as Les Sang et Or due to their traditional red and gold colours, maintains one of the most passionate fanbases in French football.
Located in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, the club was founded in 1906 and carries an identity deeply rooted in the working-class culture of the regional coal-mining basin.
Their home ground, Stade Bollaert-Delelis, boasts a capacity of more than 38,000 spectators, exceeding the entire resident population of the town of Lens and earning a nationwide reputation for unconditional loyalty from the stands.
That deep connection between the community and the team amplified the sense of grievance among fans, who felt the manner of the capitulation disgraced their long-standing traditions.
Planned protests and collective demands
In response to the crisis, all signatory fan groups confirmed that they are actively holding discussions to determine what forms of protest and formal demands they will launch.
The associations announced that those protest measures would begin on Saturday and extend through Sunday for the time being.
The groups acknowledged that they normally support the principle that individual sanctions should prevail wherever possible when addressing disciplinary issues.
However, the statement stressed that the gravity of the defeat and the collective, organised nature of the actions witnessed on the pitch demanded a response equal to the scale of events.
The fan coalition promised that whenever similar circumstances occur in the future, protest actions will be systematically organised.
They concluded their joint address by affirming that their primary objective is to preserve the club's heritage and protect its long-term future.
Hostile reception ahead of Marseille clash
The players now face an immediate return to Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday, 8 November, when they take on Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1.
The encounter marks the tenth round of the French league season, with kickoff set for 20:45 local time in front of a fanbase that has promised a frosty reception.
With supporters demanding accountability and tensions running high in northern France, the upcoming fixture will serve as a crucial test of whether the club can begin repairing its fractured relationship with the stands.
