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.”

Gattuso spoke to the media ahead of OM’s match against Lille at the Véldorome. The italian revealed that he had a lengthy conversation with Grosso in a video call the day after the incident. Gattuso stated, “I’m really sorry for him, but I would have been sorry for anyone. I’m truly saddened by how things unfolded.” 

Gattuso mentioned that Grosso’s injury could have been far more severe, “With Fabio, we talked about the luck he had. Just a few centimeters away, he could have lost an eye.”

“I didn’t talk much to him after the match.  I’m really sad about the way things happened. (…) None of the supporters should feel represented by those who threw stones. It was supposed to be a celebration, so we didn’t take it well.”

Marseille’s Ligue 1 fixture against Lyon will now be reportedly played on 6th December, but with details on the venue and the presence of supporters yet to be laid out.

GFFN | George Boxall

As one of France’s greatest central defenders, what do you think of Les Bleus’ current crop of centre-backs?

I think that France have great individuals on the defensive side. But it’s more linked to associations than individuality. We had the Umtiti-Varane pairing, which was fabulous.

Like you and Laurent Blanc!

Yes. The difference is that– through our clubs, over the 15 years I was in the France team – we were able to retain our level and to keep our places as indisputable starters in big clubs. And that association enabled France to benefit from a fabulous central defence. But now the page has turned. Umtiti and Varane – world champions – that’s brilliant – but it seems like they weren’t able to retain that intensity. And that’s surely one of the reasons why we are now seeing a new generation coming through. In Umtiti’s case, it wasn’t by choice, while Varane chose to take his international retirement because he saw that he no longer had the capacity to maintain his level, whether with his club or internationally. So he had to make a choice.

Now, Upamecano, and Konate – their association is fabulous. And more than that – I think that, individually, they maybe have a level above what we saw with Varane and Umtiti. But before they can express their individuality at a very high level, their association needs to be good.

Then there is the one at Arsenal too (William Saliba) – he hasn’t yet had the game time to adapt to that necessary association. I don’t believe his individual qualities to be above average. He’s at a very, very high level but not extraordinary. So before absorbing the international level, he needs to acclimatise to those associations. As things stand I don’t know how to associate him with Konate or with Upamecano so that he can excel and develop all the talent that he has in him.

Do you have an explanation as to why France struggles to find top fullbacks – to the extent that Deschamps often plays centre-backs as fullbacks?

He has a defence of four and [at right back] he had the choice between Pavard and Kounde. Kounde, without being exceptional, at least on the defensive side there is some quality. In terms of going forward, he’s not as good as Pavard. But we have four candidates for two places on each side and yes, compared to the potential of the centre-backs, there is a bit of a dip in quality when it comes to the full-backs – even if the Hernandez brothers show stability for their club and for France, guaranteeing tactical intelligence, in terms of going forward and dropping back into the defensive block. We do, however, have players of a very high level, otherwise, France wouldn’t have reached the World Cup final, albeit protected by a midfield which is dense, powerful and strong, which controls the ball and has a tactical intelligence within the team which compensates the fact that the full-backs don’t push up.

But on the left, when it’s Hernandez with Mbappe, it’s hard to take the baton from Mbappe – you can give him an option but it’s not you who is going to make the difference. Mbappe will use the option that you give him in order to make the difference. The same on the right – Griezmann’s tactical intelligence doesn’t give the option for Pavard or Kounde to express themselves – he stays wide or he takes the ball and cuts inside to create chances – so today we have fullbacks who are maybe just a little below the top, but who adapt to the philosophy and the need of this France team.

Two of the young centre-backs, Disasi and Badiashile, are at your former club Chelsea. The London club are struggling a little despite spending a billion pounds. How do you see the club right now?

It’s strange because you can’t criticise people who have succeeded professionally and who have decided to invest – they have consulted the board, they have had dozens of meetings for each player whom they bring in, to adapt them to the philosophy, to the future needs of the club in relation to the player’s potential. So it’s very hard to criticize. The only thing that I’d say though is that it is an error of communication. They are carried away by the potential that each player that they’ve bought has, because they’ve forgotten about one element, knowing that to play football at the highest level, to attain what we call in French “la culture de la gagne” – the winning mentality – you need experience – nascent talent is never enough to presume immediate performance. And that’s the only thing where I’d say they’ve made a mistake, where they keep thinking, with the coach Pochettino, “No, this year we’ll be title challengers with the team that we have”.

Right from the start of the season, you could see that they can’t be title challengers – it was obvious. But they have put together players of great potential and have positioned themselves in terms of “business” – because if they didn’t buy the players now for a little above value, they wouldn’t have been able to buy them later. So the only thing is they need to know how to educate the supporters by telling them “Hang on – we’re going to have a year or two of transition but after that – wow – we’ve built up enormous potential”.

But the fans and the media don’t want to hear that – they’ve seen the investment, they want immediate results. But that’s what I think of Chelsea’s idea – Pochettino isn’t a coach who has built up his philosophy like a Mourinho, a Tuchel – he’s a coach who needs to coach top players, top teams. And now he needs to rethink all his coaching to adapt to players who are in theory at a very high level but for whom you need to recreate the basic foundations of play.

It’s funny that you’re talking about Chelsea and the need for patience. I’ve heard you say similar about Milan. And moving on to your third big club – Marseille – I think it’s similar there – there is always an expectation, an impatience to succeed immediately. What do you think of Marseille right now?

It’s like other clubs – some of whom have more potential – in terms of hopes. I find that often the club, or rather the supporters – or the media that is affiliated to the club – the local paper La Provence and others – influence too much the idea that in the past we were always title challengers so we should be continuing in the same dynamic. In modern football all clubs invest, and all clubs have players of quality.

If you don’t have international starters in your team you can’t expect to be challenging for titles. And they deceive themselves – they start the season with “hopes”, knowing that when you look at the squad player by player, you realise that you’re more likely playing for a place in mid-table, a bit better if you can generate a positive dynamic and with a bit of luck. If those two elements come together, maybe we can challenge and finish in the top 6. But they’re doing themselves a disservice. And that’s what winds me up sometimes, similarly to what I said with Chelsea – the evidence is there and it’s the same with Marseille.

Gattuso – great – I respect him a lot – but he doesn’t have the squad. There isn’t the squad. When you look at all the positions. They all still need to learn, and there isn’t that added value – that no.10, that playmaker who can put away a free kick or make a difference at any moment. Look at players that they’ve had like the Chilean – Alexis Sanchez – who are past their best. I’m not sure if they still have that desire within them, and we place all our hopes on their ability, whereas now at Inter Milan – if he was still a great player like they claimed – he’d be a regular starter. But Sanchez’s stats since he arrived at Inter? He might not yet have started a single match. You see what I mean? So it’s lots of different things.

But the club owes it to itself to constantly expect to be a title challenger. And we’re a bit frustrated at Marseille, where we have the feeling that the owner [Frank McCourt] isn’t really invested. He has delegated to a president who is super-smart – but it’s all very well being smart – if there is no money, if there isn’t the budget to buy your first choices, you’re going to struggle. And France no longer attracts first choices. You have Italy, Spain, England – which means that it’s super hard to find that Uruguayan, that Argentinian, that player from Africa, to find that gem. It’s super hard.

Marcel Desailly was speaking on behalf of GamblingZone.

GFFN | Jeremy Smith

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

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