It’s official. The Ligue 1 match between Marseille and Lyon will not be played on Sunday evening.
The decision came as a result of the incidents which occurred outside the stadium as Lyon’s team bus arrived at the Stade Velodrome.
Marseille ultras threw stones at the vehicle and one of them shattered a window of the bus, injuring Fabio Grosso, Lyon‘s Italian coach, causing a deep gash on his face.
Although it was initially reported that the match would go ahead, the coach suffered a concussion, with reports at the scene suggesting he was even having trouble holding a conversation.
He didn’t pass the requisite medical tests to be fit to work on the touchline, although there was initially a desire for the game to be played as normal.
What exactly happened as Lyon’s team bus arrived?
As the Lyon team bus arrived at the home stadium of Marseille, hooligans affiliated with the home side attacked the vehicle.
It’s a scene that has become far too common in France since lockdown restrictions were lifted following the COVID-19 pandemic, and on this occasion a serious injury has occurred.
Grosso suffered a concussion as he was hit with a stone that broke through the window he was sat behind on the bus, and there was further damage as the exploding pane of glass actually cut him above the eye.
Pictures have emerged of Lyon’s coach being treated for his wounds, and there was an awful lot of blood coming from his head.
Whilst initially videos showed individuals throwing stones, a report from RMC in France have actually made clear the severity of the incident with their latest update.
“Two paving stones were thrown at two different parts of the bus,” the report stated.
That is incredibly dangerous, more so than individual rocks, and it is a miracle that there weren’t more serious injuries amongst the traveling Lyon party.
