The French government has condemned the violence of the fans, because of which the league match between Marseille and Lyon did not take place on Sunday. She also said that nine hooligans were arrested after supporters attacked the visiting team’s bus. This was reported by the AFP agency.
According to the media, Marseille fans attacked the Lyon bus on its way to the Stade Vélodrome and threw stones at it. During the attack, coach Fabio Grosso suffered a facial injury, and when he arrived at the stadium he covered his face with his hands covered in blood. Buses with Lyon supporters were also targeted.
“We basically saw everything you don’t want to see,” Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told France 2 television. She also recalled that fans chanted racist and homophobic insults in the stands afterwards. “It was disturbing, disgusting and disgusting,” she added.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin added that nine people have been detained so far. “I hope they get the maximum prison terms possible,” he said. He also rejected accusations that the authorities underestimated the match between the great rivals. According to him, 500 policemen were prepared around the stadium.
“The club should be responsible in the first place for the behavior of the fans. And I absolutely refuse to turn it against the police. The buses were guarded by police on motorcycles, which should be abnormal in the normal world, but so what. The culprits are those who threw stones ” he declared.
According to Darmanin, five police officers were injured on Sunday. The minister also recalled that last season 830 people were arrested and 103 policemen were injured at football. “And three fan groups have already been banned this season, two of which are linked to Olympique Marseille,” he said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino also condemned the incident. “There is no place for something like this in our sport or society. I believe that the responsible authorities will draw the appropriate consequences,” he wrote on Instagram.
