Lyon Coach Fabio Grosso Injured as Marseille Fans Hurl Objects at Team Bus
Lyon coach Fabio Grosso seriously injured as projectiles thrown by Marseille fans shattered bus windows, leaving him with shards of glass lodged in his head
Lyon head coach Fabio Grosso suffered "serious injuries" and had shards of glass lodged in his head when projectiles were thrown at the soccer team's bus before their Ligue 1 game against Marseille on Sunday.
As a result of the severity of Grosso and assistant coach Raffaele Longo's injuries, the match at Marseilles Stade Velodrome was postponed. Lyon released a statement stating that the injuries were worse than initially anticipated.
Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo sustained severe facial injuries as a direct result of this attack, according to the club's statement. The players and staff who were in the same bus were also greatly impacted by the brutality of this assault, which Olympique Lyonnais vehemently denounces.
"Given the gravity of the situation and the incident, the match officials made the decision to postpone the match scheduled for this Sunday, a choice that Olympique Lyonnais fully comprehends in a context where it was evidently unfeasible to proceed with the match."
The Lyon team bus is seen at the Stade Velodrome.
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After the incidents outside the stadium, a crisis meeting was conducted wherein Lyon requested for the match to be postponed. The kick-off, initially set for 8:45 p.m. local time (3:45 p.m. Eastern Time), has not been rescheduled yet by the LFP, the governing body of French soccer.
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Lyon president John Textor described the coach as having blood dripping from his head, with fragments of glass lodged in it, suggesting that he had suffered a blow to his head. He further mentioned that the coach appeared disoriented, prompting the decision to have him assessed by medical professionals. Witnessing the scene was indeed quite shocking.
Lyon subsequently shared a video on social media expressing their gratitude to the dedicated fans who remained in the stadium. Grosso, with a bandage wrapped around his head, also joined in applauding the supporters.
In an official statement, Marseille extended their well wishes for Grosso's swift recuperation. The club further denounced the violent conduct, emphasizing that such behavior holds no position in both the realm of football and society.
In an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV on Monday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin denounced the incidents surrounding the match as "unacceptable." He revealed that five police officers had been injured, and nine individuals had been arrested. A total of 500 police personnel had been deployed for the match.
Darmanin also said that, as well as throwing projectiles at the Lyon teams bus, Marseille fans had also attacked opposing supporters.
Fans wait to see if the match between Marseille and Lyon will go ahead.
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Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra addressed the media on Tuesday to address the incidents of "unjustifiable and unacceptable acts" committed by supporters prior to the scheduled game. These acts included Nazi salutes, racist monkey cries, and homophobic chants. Oudéa-Castéra expressed her dismay, stating that they witnessed the absolute worst behavior imaginable. She emphasized the urgent need for significant changes in football to combat these issues.
In its statement, Lyon said that it "calls on the authorities to take the seriousness and the repetition of such incidents into account before an even more serious tragedy occurs."
