An additional sentence has been handed down to a fan of 1. FC Köln in the legal proceedings to deal with the football riots in Nice.

In a further trial to legally deal with the football riots in Nice, a 31-year-old Cologne man has been sentenced to one year’s suspended imprisonment. The 1. FC Köln supporter was found guilty on Monday of aggravated breach of the peace with attempted dangerous bodily harm at the Cologne district court. The accused had admitted his involvement in the riots last September. “It had to be a noticeable custodial sentence,” the district judge justified the sentence.

The accused had travelled to the south of France in September 2022 for the UEFA Conference League group match between OGC Nice and 1. FC Köln. Violent clashes had then occurred on the sidelines of the match and later in the stadium. The start of the match was delayed by about an hour.

According to the verdict, the accused had taken part in the assault on the VIP stand in the direction of the Nice block. The man threw a bollard in the direction of the Nice supporters, but missed them. He was then confronted by several Nice supporters and severely beaten up. The 31-year-old was later taken to hospital by ambulance.

The accused had already committed offences in the past. He had taken part in a brawl with Eintracht Frankfurt supporters in the centre of Cologne in March 2015 and was sentenced to a fine.

A trial against two other participants in the riots had already begun last week at the Cologne district court. A verdict is expected in the trial on Tuesday.