Saint-Etienne (AFP)

Confusion in Saint-Etienne: clashes erupted before the L1 match against Marseille on Wednesday evening, delaying by a quarter of an hour the kick-off of a match which was played without Marseille supporters returned home under escort police, we learned from concordant sources.

According to spokesmen for the two clubs, a scuffle broke out between supporters of the two camps and the police intervened, firing tear gas to disperse the groups.

"Clashes broke out between supporters of the two clubs, and with the police of course who intervened," said Xavier Thuilot, director general of AS Saint-Etienne, at the microphone of the Canal + channel. "The police had to use tear gas which spread the cloud around the stadium and caused the delay."

In a statement published in the evening, OM said that the coaches of its supporters "were the target of hooded individuals who violently attacked them".

When we arrived in the parking lot of the Geoffroy Guichard stadium, "our supporters were confined to the spot and suffered multiple jets from the Stéphanois supporters and particularly violent reactions from the police who used tear gas, a water cannon but also obviously flashballs, "says Olympique de Marseille.

On the lawn, a strong smell of tear gas was felt, said an AFP journalist. The warm-up and therefore the match, counting for the 23rd day of Ligue 1, were delayed by a quarter of an hour.

The visitor area remained empty, the prefecture having taken the decision to refuse to let in Marseille supporters, whose number had been limited to 400 by prefectural decree.

Around 9:45 p.m., about a quarter of an hour before the end of the first half, OM supporters left on their buses in the direction of Marseille, under the escort of the police, indicates a source. policewoman.

According to the firefighters and the Saint-Etienne Public Prosecutor's Office contacted by AFP, there were no injuries or arrests.

- "Bad image" -

These new incidents come less than two months after the overflows observed during the reception of Paris SG at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, where the Stéphanois supporters had lit dozens of smoke bombs.

In early January, the Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP) sanctioned the ASSE of two matches behind closed doors, one of which was suspended, for the massive use of pyrotechnic devices. The firm match was purged in stride against Nantes (2-0) and it will be necessary to see if the incidents on Wednesday are likely to lead to a lifting of the stay.

"The authorities have taken all this in hand, we are only followers, especially since the clashes take place on the public highway and not in the stadium," recalled Xavier Thuilot, deploring these incidents.

"We regret all that, it's still a bad image for football as a whole," he said. "It is a very complex problem, which is collective, to which collective responses must be provided".

For its part, the Marseille club reserves "the right to consider and implement any steps or actions that will allow the Club and its supporters to be restored to their rights".

© 2020 AFP