L'engagement politique des supporters « ultras » français. Retour sur des idées reçues

The political commitment of French supporters «ultras». Return to set ideas Nicolas Hourcade The football supporters «ultras» who appeared in France in the Eigthies are often considered as right wing extremists, who are politically manipulated. The article, in its analysis of the French situation, stresses however that a lot of «ultras» refuse to express any political views in the stadiums, and that among those who are politically committed some are left wing extremists. The logic of this often superficial politicization usually differs from the one of political groupings, because the «ultras» want to protect their autonomy and mistrust the political world. But, by their collective action and their criticism of the evolution of football, the «ultras» develop potentially political practices, which they rarely perceive this way.