February 1 – Marseille officials have denounced a “frenzy of violence” after their game against Rennes in France’s Ligue 1 on Saturday was postponed when hundreds of protesting supporters broke into the club’s training ground and caused widespread damage.
The hardcore Ultras, who were demonstrating against the club leadership and the team’s poor recent run of results that has left them seventh in the table, assembled in front of Marseille’s La Commanderie training ground just hours before kick-off, throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers.
A run of four straight defeats has enraged Marseille supporters and local police said that 300 fans “violently attacked” officers at the training centre. There were 25 arrests while seven police officers were injured.
The French league reacted to the incidents by postponing the game “to a later date”, even though it was due to go ahead behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marseille said the club “strongly condemns the unacceptable attack”, and that “a frenzy of unjustifiable violence put the lives of those present in danger.”
The club called the actions of those involved “irresponsible and unacceptable” and estimated the damage caused would amount to “several hundreds of thousands of euros”.
Sports daily L’Equipe reported that Marseille’s Spanish defender Alvaro Gonzalez was struck on the back by a projectile as he went to confront the supporters.
“We are all astonished: staff, coaching staff and players. We were not expecting a savage horde to turn up and destroy everything,” Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud told Canal Plus.
“I think we avoided an even worse situation. It could have been a tragedy. Everyone is shocked, players and staff. These are not real supporters, they are hooligans, delinquents, people who have no respect for anything.”
“What happened this afternoon calls for the greatest severity for these troublemakers who claim to be supporters but destroy facilities and threaten employees and players.”
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