If the stone-throwing of the Lyon bus on Sunday on the way to the Vélodrome should not result in sanctions for Olympique de Marseille, the Olympian club and its supporters could be punished by the chants heard in the stands.
French football is (again) in shock. The clash between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais could not take place on Sunday evening. Consequence of the stone crushing of the Lyon bus while it was heading towards the Stade Vélodrome. Windows were shattered and Fabio Grosso was severely hit in the head, as was one of his deputies. While the Lyon coach had no less than twelve stitches, the decision was quickly made not to play the match.
Appalled by the actions of some of its supporters, OM strongly condemned this attack. “ It is unacceptable. I tell you this sincerely. We must prevent what happened to Fabio Grosso, the coach of Olympique Lyonnais, it is completely unacceptable. This is something that can no longer happen in football. (…) Only unconscious people… Only unconscious people. Ruining a party, with the stadium full, with 65,000 spectators, to act unconscious. Even if it’s outside the stadium, it’s unacceptable », Said its president, Pablo Longoria.
The Olympian club is now awaiting decisions from the League. As the events took place on public roads, OM seems safe from sporting sanction. The Sky and Whites can nevertheless expect the meeting to be played behind closed doors. Consequence of moments of great tension in the stands of the Vélodrome between Marseille and Lyon supporters.
To this end, the Rouge Direct collective, a whistleblower on questions of homophobia in sport, reported homophobic chants uttered by Marseille spectators, inviting in particular to “kill these Lyonnais fags”. And in another sequence, the Marseille spectators also sang “the League, fuck you”. “For years we have been denouncing inaction, impunity, inconsistency, cowardice, the betrayals of complicit pseudo-associations. Their failure is total, culpable. Black day for French football. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE”, wrote Rouge Direct on X.
And finally: “THE LEAGUE FUCK YOU”
For years we have been denouncing inaction, impunity, inconsistency, cowardice, the betrayals of complicit pseudo-associations.
Their failure is total, culpable.
Black day for French football.
THIS MUST CHANGE!@AOC1978 @afpfr @LFPfr @FFF https://t.co/Q2olhxn4sc pic.twitter.com/w4sI5GsryH— Rouge Direct (@RougeDirect) October 29, 2023
For these homophobic songs, OM is also exposed to sanction. After homophobic chants during the PSG-OM match from Parisian supporters on September 24, PSG had the Auteuil stand closed for a closed match.
