In an attack on Sunday evening (October 29th, 2023) on the team bus Olympique Lyon coach Fabio Grosso suffered a head injury before the away game at Olympique Marseille. The game was canceled.
Photos and videos showed on Sunday evening how the former Italian soccer world champion walked through the catacombs bleeding profusely. Lyon’s assistant coach Raffaele Longo is also said to have been injured.
Marseille – Lyon game canceled
The game scheduled for 8:45 p.m Ligue 1 was ultimately cancelled. As the bus that Stade Velodrome When I reached it, a huge hole could be seen on the right side. Coach Grosso, who once scored the decisive goal to make it 1-0 in extra time in the 2006 World Cup semi-final against Germany (2-0), was immediately treated by doctors and bandaged on his head. The Italian is also said to have complained of dizziness.
“He couldn’t hold a conversation, he had broken glass on his face”reported orienteering club boss John Textor, “I’m very angry, our players, our coach prepared for tonight and the fans wanted to see the game.” Lyon did not ask for the game to be canceled, Textor said: “We were ready to play. The decision was not ours as it happened outside the stadium. This is not how football should be played. We support the referee’s decision.”
Pablo Longoria, the president of Marseille said: “What happened to Fabio Grosso, the coach of Olympique Lyon, must be prevented, it is completely unacceptable. This is something that can no longer happen in football.”
Three fan buses were also damaged with stones
But that’s not all: three Lyon fan buses were apparently also attacked with stones. There are said to have been minor injuries. According to information from the ““L’Equipe” can no longer be used for the return journey to Lyon.
There are always riots and bad scenes at games between the two clubs. In November 2021, the game in Lyon was canceled after ex-national player Dimitri Payet, who was then playing for Marseille, was hit in the head by a full water bottle. Payet wanted to take a corner in the 4th minute when the bottle hit him behind the left ear. At that time, Lyon received a point deduction and the rescheduled game was played behind closed doors.