“We have no spirit of revenge compared to Marseille, apart from sport, and that must be played out on the field,” declared Wednesday the general director of Lyon, Laurent Prud’homme, who deplores that OL have was “the only victim after the incidents in the first leg”. On October 29, the meeting between OM and Olympique Lyonnais could not be played after the rocking of the Rhone club’s bus which notably led to a serious eye injury to coach Fabio Grosso, who was sacked at the end of November.
The match was finally played on December 6 with a 3-0 victory for Marseille, a match for which Lyon supporters were ultimately banned from traveling. Those of Marseille will also be, in turn, on Sunday, according to a ministerial decree.
“We know that nothing will be spared until the end of the season. For the moment, we have been a victim who was not listened to and who was punished, several times, because there was no sporting sanction for the opposing club,” declared the manager in front of some Lyon journalists. . “I have a lot of questions and there are few answers. “It shocks me,” he said, believing that “violence should not be trivialized.” “If you throw stones at a bus or throw a projectile at it, it’s only worth a fine of 300 euros… This is the sanction received by a Marseille supporter (on January 24). If this is the only answer, it is dangerous and not admissible. So far, there have been no arrests and not a single sanction,” lamented Prud’homme.
He indicated that the security arrangements for the match on Sunday would be three times greater than a normal match and twice as important as for a classic “Olympico”, an increase in law enforcement supported financially only. by OL. “Here too, we are penalized even though the Marseille supporters will not be at the stadium, which is not a good thing,” recalls Laurent Prud’homme. The meeting is classified as risky at level 5, the highest.
“For our part, we must all be irreproachable. It’s our responsibility. We will be uncompromising regarding the behavior of our supporters,” warned Laurent Prud’homme, who did not evade the behavior of several of them at the Vélodrome on October 29. Appeared before the criminal court on January 16, they await judgment on March 12. “It is unacceptable. These people are playing against their side. We will always be very active in the fight against all forms of violence and racism,” insisted the general director of OL, recalling that the Rhone club had become a civil party in this matter.