Leroy: "I Went Onto the Pitch in the Africa Cup Final Because Fans Annoyed Me in the Stands"

Former French coach Claude Leroy confirmed that he went onto the pitch during the Africa Cup of Nations final because fans in the stands "annoyed" him. He stated that spectators were reacting and standing up after every play, which prevented him from watching the match comfortably.

Leroy was a guest on the French channel L'Équipe, where he revealed the reason for his presence on the field when the referee awarded a penalty to the Moroccan national team. The Senegalese team had created "chaos" at that moment, with coach Pape Thiaw demanding a withdrawal.

Leroy stated, "When I was watching the first half from the stands, the fans were standing up at the start of every attack, and I got tired of it, so I decided to go down to the pitch."

He added, "When things got out of control, I started to sneak in without drawing attention, and I bypassed some barriers (laughing). They let me pass, then a woman from CAF came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I replied that I had come to calm things down a bit."