A court in Nice on Friday acquitted two hardcore Nice fans who had been prosecuted for assaulting the club's players at the end of last year.
The public prosecutor's office had requested sentences of between one and two years against Anthony D., 32, and Mohamed C., 42, during the trial in July due to their positions of authority within the Nice ultra group "Populaire Sud".
Both had previously been convicted of football-related violence.
The pair's case was helped by the testimony of police officers who claimed that the two ultra leaders had been trying to calm down the situation.
A group of around 200 ultras had gathered outside the club's training centre in November and blocked the team bus as players returned from a 3-1 defeat at Lorient -- a fourth consecutive league reverse.
Team officials had agreed that players would leave the bus and walk through a gauntlet of angry ultras to reach the training centre.
Several players were violently shoved or spat at, with Terem Moffi and Jeremie Boga subsequently lodging complaints with police.
Neither player ever played for the club again.
Nice public prosecutor Damien Martinelli had accused the two defendants of organising an "ambush".
Both defendants left the court with tears in their eyes.
