Marseille supporters banned from travelling to Lyon | OneFootball

The resigning Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin has issued a decree banning the travel of Olympique de Marseille supporters to the Groupama Stadium for the game against Olympique Lyonnais, reasoning that there is “a real and serious risk of confrontation between supporters of the two clubs.”

This measure imposed via the Official Journal today also referred to Marseille’s travels as being “very frequently a source of disturbance to public order due to the violent behaviour of certain supporters” with “fights between supporters” and “violence against the police, as well as [the] throwing [of] firecrackers, smoke bombs, and flares.”

The fixture on Sunday has been categorised as high-risk, with games between the two arch-rivals representing serious flashpoints in recent seasons. Last year, the derby at the Stade Vélodrome had to be rescheduled after Marseille supporters attacked the Lyon bus en route to the stadium. Then Lyon manager Fabio Grosso was injured in the attack after he was struck by a missile that shattered a window of the bus he was a passenger on.

Last season saw a significant rise in travel bans across France after the death of an FC Nantes supporter ahead of the game against OGC Nice.

GFFN | Nick Hartland