The meeting between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday had to be postponed after serious incidents against the players’ bus and those of Lyon supporters.
More images, too many images. Sunday October 29, the clash between OM and OL, the traditional “Olympico” of Ligue 1, could not begin. The Olympique Lyonnais bus and four buses carrying some of their supporters were targeted near the stadium. Projectiles left several injured, including the Rhone coach, Fabio Grosso, who was hit in the face. The match was postponed and these incidents caused outrage among all involved. Monday October 30, several questions remain unanswered.
How are the projectile victims doing?
Several people were hit by thrown objects. The most seriously injured was OL coach Fabio Grosso, whose photo of his bloodied face shocked people. The Italian was hit just above the eye and in the scalp after the windows of the Lyon bus – although escorted by two CRS trucks – exploded due to the rain of projectiles. The former 2006 champion suffered 12 stitches and suffered from dizziness. His assistant Raffaele Longo was hit in the eye.
Four buses of Les Gones supporters suffered the same stone attack. “We waited a little less than an hour [après l’attaque contre le bus des joueurs de l’OL]and when we finally got back to the stadium, it was the beginning of the stone crushing of the first of the four buses leaving from the Rhône-Alpes region, one of the drivers testified Progress [article payant]. My driver’s side window was shattered.“No official report from the supporters has been communicated at this time.
Among the 500 police officers and gendarmes mobilized to ensure the security of the meeting, five were injured, announced the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, to BFM TV on Monday. Frédérique Camilleri, Bouches-du-Rhône police chief, also indicated on Sunday that a CRS officer had lost consciousness after being hit with a baseball bat.
What do we know about the culprits?
Sunday evening, eight people were taken into custody: six from Marseillais and two from Lyon for responding to the police. A ninth arrest was confirmed Monday morning by Gérald Darmanin. Among the Marseille residents, some are directly involved in the stone-throwing of the Olympique Lyonnais bus, said the public prosecutor of Marseille, Nicolas Bessone. “The action was led by hooded people wearing OM and South Winners scarves.“, a group of Ultras from the Marseille club, also described the bus driver of Lyon supporters interviewed by Progress.
Two investigations were opened, one for “violence with weapons in meetings” following the attack on the Lyon players’ and staff’s bus, another after the attack on the OL supporters’ buses. The two clubs announced that they wanted to file a complaint after these incidents.
Could the match have been played?
Around 8:45 p.m., the time the match was to begin, the postponement of this OM-OL was recorded by the referee of the match, François Letexier. “OL did not want the meeting to take place” does he have guaranteed to Prime Video, despite an imbroglio with the Lyon president, John Textor, who initially announced the opposite before changing his mind. After the bus was stoned, a special protocol was triggered, due to the serious injury of Fabio Grosso.
This protocol was created after incidents, already during a match between Lyon and Marseille, on November 21, 2021, during which OM player, Dimitri Payet, received a bottle in the head in the middle of the match. These new provisions allow the definitive interruption of a match.if a player or referee is the target of a projectile throw“. Although this was initially planned in cases of incidents inside a stadium, the seriousness of the situation led to the postponement.
What does Olympique de Marseille risk?
The incidents having taken place outside the Stade Vélodrome, the Marseille club should not suffer any sporting penalties. The Disciplinary Committee of the Football League cannot be contacted and impose sanctions. This may be the case as during the Montpellier-Clermont match on October 8, during which a jet of smoke exploded at the feet of Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw, and led to the match being stopped. In the process, the Hérault club received a penalty point and the meeting was postponed behind closed doors. Only the LFP competitions commission will meet to decide on the conditions for the postponement of this OM-OL (date, presence of supporters or not, etc.).
Monday morning, however, the government points the finger at the responsibility of Olympique de Marseille, like that of any club in such a situation, even outside the stadiums. “Of course, if it is established that there are supporters involved and the roles and responsibilities allow this to be established very clearly, the clubs cannot ignore this, nor can the supporters’ associations, neither does the League“, reacted the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra to Télématin on France 2.
OM-OL incidents: “All the perpetrators of these actions must be very severely punished,” says Amélie Oudéa-Castéra
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister of Sports, was the guest of “4 Vérités” on France 2, Monday October 30. – (France 2)
“Isn’t there a responsibility of the supporters? Isn’t there a responsibility of the clubs?” asked Gérald Darmanin on BFM TV before answering: “It is up to the club to manage its supporters.“