At the Vélodrome stadium,
Another funny evening wasted by a handful of “unconscious and irresponsible people”. “The Olympico” between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais, on behalf of the 10th day of Ligue 1, could not be played on Sunday evening after the attack on the Lyonnais coach by Marseille supporters. The Rhone residents did not wish to play due to the state of health of Fabio Grosso, injured in the head after projectile throwing. 20 minutes tells you the story of this evening which tastes unfinished and “shameful”.
The attack on the Lyonnais bus by Marseille supporters
As soon as we entered the aisles of the Vélodrome stadium, around 7:15 p.m., we understood that the evening was not going to go normally. The Olympique Lyonnais bus, parked at the entrance with the right front speed completely broken, had just been attacked. About thirty minutes earlier, on the Prado, by a few isolated supporters. Very quickly, images of OL coach Fabio Grosso with a bloodied face began to leak. “Once the window was broken, other projectiles hit him, just above the eye. There were beer bottles, which hit him on the forehead, above the eye,” detailed John Textor, the Lyon president, afterwards. It was then the buses of Lyon supporters, 600 of whom had been authorized to travel, who were also attacked a few minutes later. A few minor injuries were reported among Lyon supporters. “These are circumstances that are totally unacceptable,” denounced Pablo Longoria, the president of OM. First of all I want to address my first thoughts to Fabio Grosso, I went to see him. What happened to him is unacceptable, they are unconscious. I’m angry, I’m disgusted. It has no place in football or in society. »
The Lyonnais first wanted to play, before changing their mind
A crisis meeting was immediately held between the authorities, the two clubs and the League to decide whether or not to hold the match. The Marseillais wanted to play, as Pablo Longoria confided in the mixed zone. The police headquarters were also in favor of holding the meeting in the face of such a large crowd and possible difficulties in evacuating the stadium. The Lyonnais initially wanted to play the match, before changing their mind. “The first message was that they wanted to play. The staff wanted to play, our coach wanted to play, even if he was a little inconsistent at the time. Then he underwent a medical examination, and during this time the players’ opinions began to change. They saw the coach go into the locker room and it was clear that he was not himself, that he had not recovered,” detailed its president John Textor. The meeting was finally postponed by the LFP, and the stadium was able to be evacuated “without the slightest incident”, welcomed the police headquarters.
Meetings took place between the ultras of the two clubs
The authorities had authorized the travel of 600 supporters of Olympique Lyonnais, after numerous meetings between the two clubs. The police chief, Frédérique Camilleri, appeared before the press, who were very angry after these incidents:
“When we spend weeks preparing for a match, discussing, including with the ultras from both camps, and behind it we say to ourselves that we will be able to attend a football match, it is absolutely scandalous and shameful that these people- there decide otherwise outside the stadium. We will have to draw the consequences. I would like to be able to say that this event, at least, makes us realize that we can no longer continue like this. Everyone will have to feel concerned. If this match did not take place it is not because there was no joint work between the teams, it is not because the supporters of the two teams chose not to talk. On the contrary, I believe it is a first. But because some idiots outside decided otherwise.”
Monkey gestures and Nazi salutes in the Lyon parking lot
The match ultimately did not take place, but the Lyon supporters still returned to their grounds shortly after 8 p.m. During the forty-five minutes of waiting before knowing if the match could be played, some of them engaged in otherwise reprehensible actions. Numerous photos and videos show OL supporters giving Nazi salutes towards OM supporters grouped in the north turn. Some also mimicked the gestures of the monkeys when addressing opposing supporters.
Seven arrests, Olympique Lyonnais will file a complaint
At the end of this sad evening, the police headquarters announced the arrest of seven people, including two for suspected projectile throwing. In a press release, OL regretted “that this type of situation recurs every year in Marseille” while considering that “a new step towards the worst has been taken”. The club “will file a complaint in the coming days and will support anyone who wishes to do the same”.
What about the postponement of the match and the sanctions?
In its press release announcing the postponement of the match, the Professional Football League specifies that “it will now be up to the Competitions Commission to decide on the fate of this match by application of article 544 of the competition regulations”. The attacks on the coach of the Lyon squad and those of their supporters took place outside the Vélodrome stadium, the responsibilities therefore lie more with the public authorities than with Olympique de Marseille. And the Lyonnais left in their bus repaired with cardboard and tape as a window, without knowing when they will play this match against OM.