Askume, Sept 19 – Marseille fans were banned from travelling to Lyon on Sunday due to the risk of violence between supporters and law enforcement, the French interior ministry said on Thursday.
Marseille will face Lyon without fans on Sunday in Ligue 1. The ministry cited several previous acts of violence by Lyon and Marseille supporters as the reason for the ban.
Under the ordinance , violence against law enforcement officers has previously occurred, while fans have set off firecrackers, smoke grenades and explosives, causing injuries and property damage.
“Individuals claiming to be supporters of Olympique de Marseille, or displaying such behaviour, are prohibited from attending any individual or group sport in any way in the towns of the Estuary Rhône and the area between the cities of Dessigny-Chapy and Mezieres and Lyon (Rhône),” the decree says.
“This measure will be effective from midnight on Sunday to midnight on Monday.”
The ministry also cited increased security requirements for law enforcement as a result of the Olympics, as well as ongoing protests due to unrest in the Middle East and increased threats of terrorism, which resulted in reduced available resources.
Lyon fans were banned from attending a Ligue 1 match at Marseille in December last year after a number of violent incidents in Ligue 1 last season, includingThe match between the two clubs resulted in arrests and stadium bans.
