Yesterday, during the last match of the 3rd day of Ligue 1 between OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille, a serious incident occurred.
Fifteen minutes before the final whistle, the Mediterranean derby was marked by a serious incident. While preparing to take a corner, the Marseille captain and number 10, Dimitri Payet, was hit in the back by a bottle filled with water thrown by a fan. In response, the player threw the bottle back towards the stands, which triggered clashes between the crowd and the players. The situation quickly escalated, and the Allianz Riviera turned into an MMA cage where fans, players, and staff members brawled. The match was subsequently interrupted for over an hour, with the Nice players eventually returning to the field alone due to the Marseille team refusing to restart the match, claiming they did not feel safe. Benoit Bastien, the referee of the match, then stopped the game, awarding Nice a victory by forfeit.
In response to these shocking events, the LFP (Professional Football League), criticized by some for its decision to continue the match, announced in a statement that both clubs are summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee on Wednesday, August 25th.
It is the “Aiglons” (Nice) who are at the greatest risk, as they could be sanctioned with a forfeited loss (3–0) and several matches behind closed doors without their supporters.
The players and technical staff of both teams, some of whom were involved in the brawl, could also face severe penalties, including several match suspensions.
