After a bottle hit Dimitri Payet (football news), the LFP banned Lyon fans for disrupting the game against Marseille. While they have promptly disallowed entry into the stadium the club’s supporters, the LFP considers what further sanctions to impose.
Hosts Lyon and their visitors Marseille abandoned the match at Groupama Stadium on Sunday. This was a result of a rogue bottle from the stands hitting Marseille midfielder Dimitri Payet.
A bottle, that a fan in the stadium threw, hit Payet in the head, just 5 minutes into the game.
This plastic bottle, full of water, struck the former West Ham midfielder on the side of the head. And that was just as he was about to take a corner in a hostile environment.
As a result, Payet collapsed to the ground and required medical attention. Such disruption prompted referee Ruddy Buquet to remove the players from the field and send them to their dressing rooms.
In effect, the referee, and later the Marseille team’s decision to not re-enter this away pitch, postponed the Sunday match.
Later, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas apologized to Payet. The French club’s president also revealed that the police had arrested a spectator in connection with the event.
LFP Banned Lyon Fans for Disrupting the Game against Marseille
But further, as a result of the crowd unrest, Lyon will have to play home games without spectators. The LFP has banned fans from attending Lyon games until at least December 8.
Lyon will play their next home game against Reims without fans, per a statement from the Ligue de Football Professionnel.
The LFP have also set a disciplinary committee to decide any further punishment. This same committee will also resolve the issue over the outcome of the unplayed game against Marseille on December 8.
Among possible further sanctions is a points deduction, with Nice having been docked two, one of which was suspended, following crowd trouble at their game against Marseille this season.
French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu told France Info radio: “They have to come to an agreement, this kind of problem is for the league to solve.
“I think that everyone must understand that it is the survival of French [football] that is at stake.”
History of French Football Fans’ Rogue Rage
A series of similar incidents have plagued French football this term, starting from the 2021-22 season’s opening weekend itself.
A bottle struck Marseille midfielder Valentin Rongier when he was celebrating a goal that teammate Dimitri Payet scored against Montpellier.
Then, Payet himself also became a target in late August when Nice fans hurled bottles onto the pitch.
In reaction, back then, Payet threw a bottle back into the stands, which led to Nice fans storming the pitch.
On that occasion, the two teams abandoned the game and replayed behind closes doors at Troyes’ neutral ground in October. Also, Nice served their points’ penalty as a sanction.
Last month, Saint-Etienne and Angers saw their fixture delayed by an hour after angry supporters hurled flares onto the pitch. This they did because they wanted to dramatically demand the resignation of Saint-Etienne boss Claude Puel.
There was also trouble at Saint-Etienne’s game against Lyon.
Finally, a clash between rival fans held up the meeting between Lens and Lille in September at half-time.
