French football club Lille has announced that their fans will not be traveling to Marseille this weekend due to concerns about potential violence. This decision comes in the aftermath of an incident where hooligans forced the abandonment of the match between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais last week.
Marseille is set to host Lille tomorrow evening at Stade Velodrome. However, after authorities expressed their inability to guarantee the safety of the 250 Lille supporters planning to attend, Lille made the choice to safeguard their fans from potential trouble.
The recent match at Stade Velodrome between Marseille and Lyon witnessed some of the worst football violence in France in recent years. Lyon’s team bus was targeted with stones, resulting in an injury to coach Fabio Grosso, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy. Disturbing photos of Grosso with blood on his face were featured on the front page of sports paper L’Equipe, with the headline ‘Disgusting and Shameful.’ Moreover, fans from Lyon were seen making Nazi salutes during the game.
Both Marseille and Lyon have expressed their condemnation of the hooligan elements within their supporter base. The ban on Lille fans is a preventive measure aimed at ensuring the safety of all involved in the upcoming match.