Lyon (AFP)
The prefecture of the Rhône has issued an order prohibiting supporters of Olympique de Marseille from entering the stadium for the quarter-final of the Coupe de France, Lyon-Marseille, next Wednesday (9:00 p.m.), OL announced on Thursday.
This decree is the consequence "of serious incidents which had disturbed the last championship match at the Stade Vélodrome but also the many antagonisms opposing the supporters of the two clubs", specifies the Olympique Lyonnais in a press release.
This decision also comes the day after fights between supporters of Saint-Etienne and Marseille which led to the postponement of the kick-off of the Ligue 1 match won by OM (2-0) without the support of its 400 supporters who were not allowed to enter the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium.
The OL-OM rivalry is punctuated by violent incidents. In May 2013, at the Bollène (Vaucluse) motorway toll, a brawl had broken out between groups from Lyon and Marseilles who had accidentally crossed paths at this location.
In May 2018, the Marseille ultras had also committed degradations at the Groupama stadium on the occasion of the Europa League final between Atletico de Madrid and OM.
This season, there were no Lyonnais supporters in the first leg, won at the Vélodrome by Marseille (2-1) on November 12, due to a ministerial decree, but the OL players' bus had been stoned upon arrival at the stadium. OL President Jean-Michel Aulas had denounced this incident but the League had not followed up.
The rivalry between the two clubs and their supporters was revived by the appointment, on October 14, of Rudi Garcia as coach of Lyon a few months after his departure from the bench in Marseille.
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