Marseilles (AFP)
A player hit by a projectile, an invaded field, a general fight, police custody and clubs who blame themselves: after the chaos during Nice-Marseille on Sunday, the authorities and the authorities seek to release the responsibilities of some and others before sanctioning.
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What happened ?
While Nice leads 1-0, the Marseillais Dimitri Payet receives, from a stand, a bottle in the back and falls to the ground.
Once raised, he in turn throws two bottles in the direction of the grandstand.
After more than an hour and a half of interruption, the meeting is definitively stopped by the referee Benoît Bastien, noting the absence of the Marseillais not wishing to resume.
"We found ourselves in danger because we had a lot of our players who were targeted, affected," Marseille captain Steve Mandanda explained on Monday in a video released by OM.
“We didn't feel safe”.
A source within OM described the Marseille players on Monday as "upset by the turn of events" and, for some, "in shock".
Several of them, in particular Payet, Guendouzi and Luan Peres, were slightly injured.
As for the OGCN, he said in a statement that his players Justin Kluivert and Jean-Clair Todibo had been "attacked" by "a member of Marseille security".
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What responsibilities?
On the side of OM, we wondered Monday about security measures, the absence of protective nets, the equipment of the police and the number of stewards.
Incidents during the Nice-Marseille match after a bottle was thrown at OM player Dimitri Payet, August 22, 2021 in Nice Valery HACHE AFP
The group of "Ultras Popular Sud", like the Nice club, condemned these incidents, the OGCN affirming that "the pseudos-supporters who are guilty of it deserve heavy and targeted sanctions".
The group of supporters also said they were not opposed to the installation of an anti-projectile net.
Each club also puts forward its arguments against its opponent, before a disciplinary battle expected in the coming days before the Professional Football League (LFP).
The Marseille club and its legal director Alexandre Mialhe are also preparing their arguments and believe they have "a lot of elements", notably around the role played by Jean-Pierre Rivère, president of Nice, while a heated altercation broke out in the presidential platform , between Mr. Rivère and Pablo Longoria, his Marseille counterpart, according to a source in this forum.
The Nice club for its part deplored "the irresponsible attitude of several members" of OM, who according to him "have never ceased to aggravate the evening".
Particularly targeted, "two unnamed executive players" and "an assistant to Jorge Sampaoli crossing the field to attack and knock out a supporter (...) still hospitalized".
"We should not resume this match", for his part regretted the mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan on BFM TV, deploring a situation "which shames French football, the League, in Nice".
The League, while condemning "firmly" this "violence", assured in the evening that it was the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes who had taken this decision, "in order to guarantee public order".
Several sources with knowledge of the case pointed out to AFP that the referee of the match was not in favor of resuming the game.
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What suites?
The Nice prosecutor's office announced Monday the opening of several investigations, in particular for "throwing projectiles" and "aggravated willful violence".
A 28-year-old man, suspected of having beaten an OM player, was arrested in Mandelieu-la-Napoule and taken into custody on Monday at the end of the day, AFP learned from a police source .
Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu for her part considered that these incidents were "an insult to football" and called for "sanctions".
The president of Nice Jean-Pierre Rivère (c) comes to speak to the supporters of his team, during the match against OM, on August 22, 2021 in Nice Valery HACHE AFP
The LFP convened the two clubs on Wednesday in the disciplinary committee: in this kind of case, the file is generally placed under investigation for two to three weeks, even if protective measures can be taken.
The Commission will be able to sanction on the one hand the Nice club for the excesses caused by the spectators (closing of stands, withdrawal of points ...), and on the other hand the players in the game (suspensions for the players or the management. ..).
It will also have to decide the fate of the meeting (score maintained, defeat on the green carpet, match to replay ...).
bur-tll-ama-stt / bpa
© 2021 AFP