The French Interior Ministry issued a ban preventing Olympique Lyonnais supporters from attending the rescheduled Ligue 1 game against Olympique de Marseille due to concerns over potential confrontations between the two sets of fans.

This decision follows the previous abandonment of the October 29 fixture, when Lyon’s team bus faced an attack with stones, resulting in injuries to coach Fabio Grosso, who has since been replaced. The rescheduled game is slated to take place on Wednesday. Follow your favourite football team with attractive football betting tips from Nextbet. 

An official Order in the Official Journal explicitly stated, “On Wednesday 6 December 2023 from midnight to midnight, the individual or collective travel of any person claiming to be a supporter of the Olympique Lyonnais club or behaving as such, is prohibited between the municipalities of the Rhone department and the municipality of Marseille.”

The decree cited the substantial and real risk of clashes between the supporters of the two clubs, attributing it to the deeply rooted animosity between them.

Highlighting recurrent disturbances to public order associated with the club, the decree emphasized, “It also stated that the club is very frequently a source of disturbances to public order because of the violent behaviour of certain supporters or individuals claiming to be supporters of this team.”

This directive comes in the wake of a recent tragic incident where a Nantes fan was stabbed before the match against Nice at the Beaujoire Stadium, marking yet another troubling occurrence in French football.

With safety concerns paramount, the prohibition of Olympique Lyonnais fans from attending the Marseille clash underscores the urgent need to address escalating tensions and ensure the security and wellbeing of all involved in football events. Get the latest updates from the world of football only on Nextbet Sports.