It was supposed to be a typical U13 tournament on the Mediterranean coast. Kids on dusty artificial turf, parents on the sidelines, coaches with whistles and water bottles in hand. Instead, the soccer Sunday in Six-Fours-les-Plages in the Var department ended with flashing lights, hospital visits, and horror.
Youth coach Fabien Benachour from the club Six-Fours Le Brusc FC is in intensive care after a brutal attack. According to initial reports, he was assaulted and severely injured by the father of an opposing player during the tournament. Fractures in the face, including near the eye area—injuries more commonly seen in police reports about nighttime brawls than in children’s soccer.
The news spread rapidly throughout the amateur soccer scene in the region. Coaches, club officials, and volunteers gathered outside the hospital in Toulon. Many came not only out of solidarity. Some also came with a bitter realization: such incidents no longer truly surprise anyone.
And that is exactly the real problem.
For years, youth coaches and referees have been reporting increasing aggression on the sidelines. Parents yell at children, insult referees, or clash over trivial game situations. Losing a tournament can nowadays sometimes be enough to cause adults to completely lose control. As if the outcome of a U13 match depended on the Champions League.
Anyone who spends weekends at amateur fields often experiences two games simultaneously: the one played by the children on the field—and the one by the adults next to it. The latter often appears far more tense.
Yet youth soccer serves a completely different purpose. Children learn rules, consideration, team spirit, and how to cope with defeat without falling apart. Coaches invest countless hours voluntarily, organizing trips, washing jerseys, calming disputes. Many do this after work, simply out of passion for the sport.
When exactly these people are attacked, it doesn’t only affect individuals. It shakes the foundation of amateur soccer.
Because clubs rely on volunteers. On people who, despite limited time, still coach or organize tournaments. If this willingness dries up because fear and violence dominate everyday life, the sport loses its most important pillar.
The incident in Six-Fours therefore stands for much more than a tragic outburst. It shows how difficult it apparently is for some adults to accept that children’s soccer is not a vent for their own frustrations.
And that’s exactly where the devil lies in the details.
Because when adults lose control, children learn something completely different from fair play.
Andreas M. B.