The Choc des Olympiques, which was due to take place last Sunday, was called off after the Lyon team bus was pelted with objects on the way to the Stade Vélodrome. Members of the away team’s staff, including manager Fabio Grosso, were injured – the Italian coach was notably seen entering the stadium with a bloodied face and required 13 stitches above his eye.

Labrune has indicated that the game will take place on December 6, but that the league commission will decide on the venue further down the line. This decision, he says, will be made once it has received “additional information from the authorities in order to guarantee the safety of all of those involved and attending” the fixture.

The league chief has added that, on an exceptional basis, the events of Sunday night will be assesed by the disciplinary commission “in their entirety”, in particular with regard to establishing responsibility for access to the Stade Vélodrome. Labrune went on to explain that Grosso had “my support and that of the league as a whole”:

“The acts of which he was the victim are serious and intolerable, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted.”

Manager Fabio Grosso was injured during the attack, which took place in the area surrounding the Véldrome. Projectiles thrown by OM fans smashed the glass of the Lyon team bus. A bottle was then thrown through the open window, striking Grosso just above his left eye. The wound required stitches and with Grosso unable to take his place in the dugout, the game was abandoned, just minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. 

600 Lyon fans also made the trip to Marseille and were also attacked on their approach to the stadium. Aulas, who was stripped of his presidential role by John Textor earlier this year, has now called for OM to be sanctioned for the incidents. The LFP are currently not investigating the incident as the incidents took place outside of the stadium and therefore sanctioning the incident falls outside of their jurisdiction. 

Aulas calls for racist gestures in Lyon away-end to be punished

“You can’t be completely exonerated from responsibility,” Aulas told L’Équipe. “Football, the club (OM) and of course, the public security services all have a share of responsibility in this affair, especially since it was foreseeable.”

Asked specifically whether he believes that Marseille should be sanctioned for the incident, he replied, “I will leave it to the people responsible for deciding and ask them to decide with their soul and conscience, but a very heavy sanction is needed. Otherwise, next time, there will be deaths. Fabio could have lost his eye.”

Aulas also called for those who made racist gestures in Lyon’s away end to be punished. Footage has shown supporters within Lyon’s travelling section making Nazi salutes and monkey gestures towards Marseille fans. “It’s unacceptable [..] it is easy to find those that did it. There are cameras. They need to be sentenced and excluded,” said Aulas. The LFP announced on Tuesday that an investigation has been opened into the incidents. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Lyon’s team bus was attacked en route to the Vélodrome on Sunday night. Manager Fabio Grosso was injured during the attack, requiring stitches to a wound just above his left eye. 600 Lyon supporters made the trip to Marseille and they were also attacked on their way to the stadium. 

However, once within the Vélodrome, Lyon fans are accused of making nazi salutes and also making monkey gestures towards the Marseille fans, whilst also brandishing their passports. The game was ultimately abandoned just moments before the scheduled kick-off time. A new date for the encounter is yet to be set. 

In a press release, the LFP have confirmed that they will investigate the behaviour of the Lyon fans, “in view of the gravity of the instance.” The LFP discipline committee will make a decision on Wednesday 22nd November. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Grosso was left with a bloody facial wound after being struck by a bottle, thrown by Marseille fans en route to the Vélodrome, whilst Lyon’s supporter buses were also targeted on the way to the match. As a result, the match was abandoned just minutes before the scheduled kickoff time. He was absent from training on Tuesday after sustaining a deep cut above his eye, which required stitches. Grosso has also been given an optional 30-day medical absence, although he is still allowed to work for the club during this time. He is not expected to oversee training on Wednesday either. 

OL’s manager has now spoken for the first time since the violent episode. “What happened could have been a tragedy. It certainly was for the sport and all those that love it. I hope with all my heart that this will be a lesson. I thank you all for your support. Go, Lyon,” said Grosso. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

L’Équipe report that Grosso has been given 30-day medical leave following the attack he suffered on OL’s team bus before Lyon were due to face Marseille on Sunday evening. The Italian and his assistant Raffaele Longo sustained injuries to their faces after a group of hooded Marseille fans shattered the glass of the bus where the pair were sitting.

Lyon’s fan buses were also attacked en route to Le Choc des Olympiques, and the game was subsequently postponed just minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. One conviction has already been handed to a Marseille ultra, who was apprehended carrying a cache of 28 smoke grenades. 

GFFN | George Boxall

The accused appeared before a judge and readily pleaded guilty to charges brought against him. Consequently, he has been slapped with a fine and an 18-month stadium ban.

Lyon’s team bus was attacked on the way to the Véldrome on Sunday night. Fabio Grosso was injured in the incident. According to OL owner John Textor, the Italian manager was struck by a beer bottle after projectiles had smashed the glass of the team bus.

Lyon’s fan buses were also attacked en route to Le Choc des Olympiques, and the game was subsequently postponed just minutes before the scheduled kick-off time.

GFFN | George Boxall

Lyon’s team bus was attacked on the way to the Véldrome on Sunday night. Fabio Grosso was injured in the incident. According to OL owner John Textor, the Italian manager was struck by a beer bottle after projectiles had smashed the glass of the team bus. Lyon’s fan buses were also attacked en route to Le Choc des Olympiques, and the game was subsequently postponed just minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. 

However, despite the scenes of violence, OM are set to escape any sporting sanctions. As the events took place outside the stadium, Marseille are not deemed responsible. It therefore won’t be the LFP’s disciplinary commission that will hand out any sanctions, as it falls outside of their jurisdiction. Whilst OM won’t face any sanctions, the match must still be rearranged. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Fayçal, a seasoned bus driver responsible for transporting Lyon supporters to matches across France, shared his harrowing experience with Le Progrès. He described the atmosphere as initially pleasant, but that quickly changed.

“At the Lançon toll booth, we were escorted by a large number of riot police trucks,” Fayçal recalled. “Through the radio, we learned that the team bus had been pelted with projectiles. The police ordered us to stop. We waited for nearly an hour, and when we finally resumed our journey to the stadium, that’s when the first of the four buses from the Rhône-Alpes region was targeted.”

According to the bus driver, “the attack was carried out by hooded people wearing OM and South Winners scarves”. “My window on the driver’s side shattered. We were able to get into the underground car parks reserved for supporters. There, we were safe. The supporters went up into the stands. Members of the LFP (French league governing body) came to take photos, and at 10pm, I was still waiting to find out when I was going to be able to get ‘my’ supporters back to safety.”

GFFN | George Boxall

“Lyon absolutely condemns the unacceptable racist behaviour shown by certain individuals in the away end on Sunday,” read the message posted on X (formerly Twitter). “The club has asked for video footage to identify the perpetrators of any acts which are not only against the law, but are also against the values of the club.” 

The violent incidents began before the match when Marseille supporters targeted the Lyon team bus, hurling stones, glass bottles, and various projectiles at it. As reinforced windows succumbed to repeated attacks, a paving stone struck Lyon’s coach, Fabio Grosso, in the eye area, causing injury and concussion.

Promptly after the incident, a crisis team was formed, including match officials, the LFP delegate, and representatives from both Marseille and Lyon. An hour later, a press conference was held, where Alexandre Letexier, the match referee, announced that Lyon did not wish to continue the game. Following the established league protocol and Lyon’s stance, the decision was made not to proceed with the match

Lyon’s Ultras known as Bad Gones were seen with French flags, and also used the opportunity to engage in racist and Islamophobic chants directed at Marseille’s own ultras, MTP, and South Winners. Other footage on social media also shows Lyon fans shouting racist slurs from an open door on the buses taking them to the Vélodrome – before several of the convoys were subsequently attacked by Marseille fans.

GFFN | George Boxall

“In football, all players, coaches, and supporters must be safe to enjoy our sport,” he firmly declared. “I call on all the competent authorities to make sure that the appropriate measures are taken. In football, without expetion, all players, coaches, and supporters have to safe to enjoy our sport.”

The violent incidents began before the match when Marseille supporters targeted the Lyon team bus, hurling stones, glass bottles, and various projectiles at it. As reinforced windows succumbed to repeated attacks, a paving stone struck Lyon’s coach, Fabio Grosso, in the eye area, causing injury and concussion.

Promptly after the incident, a crisis team was formed, including match officials, the LFP delegate, and representatives from both Marseille and Lyon. An hour later, a press conference was held, where Alexandre Letexier, the match referee, announced that Lyon did not wish to continue the game. Following the established league protocol and Lyon’s stance, the decision was made not to proceed with the match

Lyon’s Ultras, armed with French flags, also used the opportunity to engage in racist and Islamophobic chants directed at the South Winners, exacerbating tensions within the stadium between the two Olympiques and their ultras.

GFFN | George Boxall