in

Marseille vs Galatasaray suspended for safety reasons as rival fans throw flares at each other in violent scenes


CROWD chaos caused Marseille vs Galatasaray to be suspended as rival fans launched flares at each other and brawled in the stands.

Ref Pawel Raczkowski was forced to pause the Europa League clash as tempers boiled over at a tense Stade Velodrome.

Players and officials watched in shock as Marseille and Galatasaray fans kicked offCredit: Reuters
Flares were hurled and loud explosions heard in the stadiumCredit: AP
Riot police had to be brought in to quell the crowd troubleCredit: AP

Play was suspended just before half time for around eight minutes as rival supporters hurled pyrotechnics and battled the stewards trying to tame them.

Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim and both skippers Fernando Muslera and Dimitri Payet attempted to restore calm by appealing to the yobs.

Riot police were eventually called in to bring back a sense of peace and the game resumed with the scores 0-0.

The incident is yet another in a growing list of ugly moments for French football.

Marseille in particular have found themselves in the headlines for the wrong reasons several times this year.


FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS


They were involved in a mass brawl with Nice fans and players last month after Payet chucked a bottle thrown at him back at supporters.

Marseille fans then scrapped with their Metz rivals in skirmishes that spilled out onto the pitch following a fiery 0-0 draw.

Elsewhere, Lille vs Lens was stopped after fans invaded the pitch before riot police stepped in.

And Metz keeper Alexandre Oukidja had to be dragged away after going berserk at Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe for celebrating a late winner.

Once restarted the Group E clash finished goalless, leaving Galatasaray top on four points ahead of Lazio, with Marseille third after a pair of draws.

Outrageous brawl between Marseille and Angers fans breaks out in the stands and spills onto pitch after heated 0-0 draw


Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk


Tagcloud:

Man Utd transfer target Kalvin Phillips will only leave Leeds if ‘links with boyhood club remain intact’, claims Bielsa

Cristiano Ronaldo so committed to training the Sir Alex Ferguson would have to FORCE him to go home, reveals Nicky Butt