The game should provide plenty of publicity: Marseille versus Lyon, there is hardly a greater rivalry in French football. A decision will be made on November 2nd as to who will receive the international broadcast rights to Ligue 1 for the period between 2024 and 2029. The tender is crucial for the French league association, which wants to increase its television revenue. But instead of advertising, this Sunday you could see images of violence and a bloody face.
As the Olympique Lyonnais players were on their way to the away game at the Stade Vélodrome a little less than two hours before kick-off, their bus was violently attacked and stoned by Marseille supporters. Just over a hundred people had gathered on one side of the street and used the slow speed of the bus to carry out the attack.
The double glazing of the right side window of the bus shattered. Coach Fabio Grosso, who was sitting at the front of the vehicle, was hit directly by a blunt object – probably a glass beer bottle. The Italian suffered serious head injuries. Grosso was bleeding profusely from a large cut on his left eyelid. In addition to him, his assistant coach Raffaele Longo also suffered an eye injury.
“A new step towards the worst”
The players gathered in their locker room after the attack. Several senior players, who were very upset, are said to have spoken out to mobilize their teammates. In particular, captain Alexandre Lacazette and former Bayern professional Corentin Tolisso are said to have said that they are ready to play, but that everyone’s feelings and emotions must also be respected.
Meanwhile, the coach Grosso is said to have suffered from dizziness and did not consistently answer the doctors’ questions, who suspected a concussion. It quickly became clear to the crisis team that the game could not be started under these circumstances. Olympique Lyonnais club boss John Textor said: “While such abuses have occurred in the past, this Sunday, October 29th, a new step towards the worst was taken. Initially, the coach and players wanted the game to take place. However, it was later discovered that the physical condition of Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo was much worse than expected.”
Lyon’s players and coaches were attacked on this bus. : Image: dpa
Pablo Longoria, the coach of Olympique Marseille, was horrified by what happened hundreds of meters from the stadium. “What happened to Fabio Grosso is completely unacceptable,” said the Spaniard in the catacombs. “This is something that can no longer happen in football. What inconsiderate people. I am angry and truly upset about this situation.”
Seven people had been arrested by Sunday evening. Both clubs announced that they would press charges. Six buses carrying Lyon fans were also pelted with stones. France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra also commented later. “These unacceptable actions,” she said, “damage the values of football and sport. The perpetrators must all be found and severely punished. I support Olympique Lyon and its coach. These acts of stupidity and hatred, which have nothing to do with sport, must be eradicated with the utmost determination.”
Jan Ehrhardt Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 29 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 6
The match in Marseille is scheduled to take place in December. And the debate that this attack in France will trigger is likely to extend beyond football: nine months before the Olympic Games in Paris, organizers’ concerns about security are growing.
