The euphoria of a Champions League victory turned into a nightmare for Louis Ducruet. The son of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, nephew of Prince Albert II, was the victim of a violent assault on December 9th, on the sidelines of the AS Monaco-Galatasaray match at the Stade Louis-II. Three days later, the 33-year-old appeared in court in Monaco, supported by his father, Daniel Ducruet, as a civil party. Facing him were two Turkish fans, a father and son, on trial for a brawl that left both physical and psychological scars. This expedited trial revealed the sudden violence of an evening that should have been a celebration.
An altercation that escalates near the restrooms
Everything changed after the final whistle, just as AS Monaco had won 1-0. Louis Ducruet, an international football scout and a supporter that evening, was heading to the restrooms with two friends in the VIP lounge of the stadium. It was there that a phrase spoken in Turkish by one of the opposing fans, Salman B., was allegedly perceived as a provocation. The tension, already palpable in the stands, immediately erupted. According to Louis Ducruet's account, he tried to defuse the situation by grabbing one of the aggressors by the chest to protect his friend. In vain. "I was punched in the face, on the chest, on the arms," he recounted in court, visibly still shaken.
"I was afraid of being lynched": the chilling testimony of the prince's nephew
The most terrifying moment, according to him, came when he lowered his guard. “I saw the son with his fist tightly closed, ready to hit me. I feared for my life because if I took that blow, I would have been knocked unconscious on the ground. I was afraid of being lynched.” His account was corroborated by a medical certificate indicating between two and four days of total temporary incapacity for work (TTI). Facing him, the two defendants presented a radically different version of events, claiming self-defense after being, according to them, grabbed by the neck. This defense failed to convince, especially since the photos of the hands spoke volumes: bruises on Salman B.'s hands, but no marks on those of Louis Ducruet and his friends.
A firm condemnation for the attackers
After a swift hearing, the verdict was unequivocal. The two supporters, residents of the Paris region, were found guilty of "intentional injuries, violence, or assault resulting in a temporary incapacity for work of less than eight days." They each received a two-month suspended prison sentence, a three-year ban from Monaco, and were ordered to pay €1,000 in damages to each of the victims. This sentence sends a clear message of zero tolerance for violence in stadiums, even—and especially—when it targets a member of the princely family.
For Louis Ducruet, that evening was a brutal shock. He, who moves in the refined circles of football business and the discreet life of a prince, found himself at the heart of a sordid brawl. His rare and poignant account serves as a reminder that behind status, fear and vulnerability are the same for everyone. Thanks to swift justice, he can now put this assault behind him, but the memory of those blows, delivered within the very walls of his principality's stadium, is likely to take time to fade.
