Marseille coach Gennaro Gattuso on Tuesday invited his team’s supporters not to “make a mess” on Wednesday during the match between OM and Lyon, postponed at the end of October after serious incidents around the Stade Vélodrome.
“For our fans, it must be a day of celebration and I am sure that it will be the case. They know the importance of this match and they know that they must not make a mess,” Gattuso said at a press conference. “But I don’t have to explain anything to them, I have great confidence in them,” added the Italian technician.
On October 29, shortly before his arrival at the Vélodrome, the bus carrying the players and staff of the Lyon team was targeted and stoned. Several windows had been broken and Lyon coach Fabio Grosso, since dismissed, had been seriously injured in the face. The match had been canceled and the Professional Football League (LFP) rescheduled it for Wednesday (9 p.m.), still in Marseille and in the presence of the public, contrary to what the Lyon club would have liked, whose appeal was deemed inadmissible.
On Tuesday, Gattuso also spoke about the risk of a complete ban on the movement of supporters during football matches, mentioned on Monday by the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra in reaction to several serious incidents in French football, in particular the death of a supporter on Saturday in Nantes.
“It would be a defeat for football. But it’s normal that there are decisions made when things like this happen,” said Gattuso. “There is nothing more beautiful than a full stadium, with children, people who come to the stadium from father to son. Children should be able to come see their idols and experience a day of celebration holding their father or mother’s hand. But stadiums cannot be lawless zones,” added the Marseille coach.
Present in front of journalists before his coach, Amine Harit also spoke of the travel bans and the increase in violence around football. “Travel bans? It’s a shame it’s come to this. Football is a sport that gives pleasure to people. People must come with the aim of partying and not with the aim of violence, declared the Moroccan attacking midfielder. For us, it is vital to have supporters in the stadium, both at home and away. We see that it is going well in other countries like in England. I don’t understand this climate of violence, it’s not something that helps football move forward. I hope that people will have a real awareness of this violence which is increasing.
The Marseille number 10 then spoke about the upcoming match against OL, sending a message identical to that of Gattuso. “During the first match, there was disappointment, we wanted to start a series. But there are things more important than football. An Olympico is a special match no matter what. You should not trust the ranking. The postponement of the match is regrettable. We know that real OM supporters do not convey this image. What may have happened gives a bad image to the club. I hope that everything goes well tomorrow and that it will be a day of celebration.”
