Courageous soccer supervisor, 73, confronts thugs after they invaded pitch to protest membership’s relegation from French league – with match deserted after simply 22 MINUTES in chaotic scenes

Soccer supervisor Vahid Halilhodzic, 73, rushed to confront Nantes followers after they stormed the pitch throughout their sport towards Toulouse on Sunday.

Within the twenty second minute of the match at Stade de La Beaujoire, flares have been thrown onto the pitch and dozens of followers flooded onto the sphere in protest towards the membership’s relegation, which was confirmed final week.

Stewards scrambled in a bid to stop the ultras getting into the sphere of play, however balaclava-wearing followers evaded them.

Safety obstacles have been torn down because the gamers fled the scene, with giant clouds of smoke seen and officers operating to protect the gamers’ tunnel.

Halilhodzic, who solely returned to handle Nantes in March however was unable to save lots of them from relegation, was seen being dragged away from followers as he remonstrated with them to go away the sphere.

The veteran managed to evade the member of safety who was making an attempt to tug him away, and got here head to head with the thugs to plead with them to go away.

Quickly after, giant teams dashed again in the direction of the stands as others booed and Halilhodzic was once more dragged away.

The pitch was ultimately cleared after French police have been pressured to intervene, however the match was quickly deserted on account of safety points.

After the abandonment was confirmed, Bosnian Halilhodzic broke down in tears, with the match presupposed to be his last in administration earlier than retirement.

He had already referred to as it a day with teaching, however got here out of retirement to try to save his former membership, which he had featured for for 5 years as a participant and in addition coached between 2018 and 2019.

The membership had already been relegated following a 3-0 defeat by Marseille final week, and can end in seventeenth place within the standings – one place above backside membership Metz.