March 20 – Lyon face being thrown out of Europe for a year by UEFA because of crowd trouble before last Thursday’s Europa League fixture when they were eliminated by CSKA Moscow.
The club already have a suspended two-year ban hanging over them from incidents at a previous Europa League game with Turkish side Besiktas in April 2017. UEFA fined Lyon €100,000 after that game and a further €49,000 when fans disrupted the home leg of last season’s semi-final against Ajax.
Last Thursday’s trouble started outside Lyon’s stadium, which will host the Europa League final in May. Police said that at least eight officers were hurt as 150 hooded fans attacked an anti-terrorist unit.
Problems continued inside the stadium and UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has charged Lyon over the throwing of objects and the setting off of fireworks, crowd disturbances, racist behaviour and blocking stairways.
French sports daily L’Equipe quoted a source within UEFA as saying that the racism charge relates to Nazi symbols displayed inside the stadium, Nazi salutes and an attack on a non-white spectator.
The case will be decided on May 31. Under UEFA guidelines, the two-year suspended sentence will be automatically enforced if Lyon are found guilty.
The club condemned the “intolerable and premeditated attacks” by their own fans.
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