AS Monaco's derby clash with Nice on Friday night has become the latest Ligue 1 game from this weekend’s schedule to be called off amid protests in France.
The match is one of four fixtures to have been postponed due to the ongoing ‘Gilets Jaunes’ disturbances which have swept across the country in recent weeks.
The clash between Monaco and Nice would have seen former Arsenal team-mates Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira go head to head as managers of the two clubs respectively.
But given the continuing protests in France, which initially took form in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed fuel taxes, and the additional need for police resources ahead of planned demonstrations this weekend the decision was made to postpone the game.
With the worst protests concentrated in Paris, Paris Saint-Germain‘s home game against Montpellier has also been called off – as have the ties between Toulouse and Lyon and St Étienne and Marseille.
The decision to call off Monaco’s Riviera derby with Nice came “at the request of the princely government of the Principality of Monaco and in connection with the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes,” according to a league statement on Twitter.
Henry’s side have struggled since he took over as manager in October, although they have won two of their last three games to climb to 18th in Ligue 1.
