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On Sunday, Ligue 1’s showpiece match of the weekend, between Lyon and Marseille, was brought to a standstill when visiting player Dimitri Payet was struck in the temple with a bottle filled with water after just four minutes.
The incident led to a chaotic scene in which the players left the field for more than an hour. It was announced that the game was to resume, yet when the teams were scheduled to return to warm up, only Lyon appeared.
After knocking the ball around for another 15 or so minutes, it became evident that Marseille had refused to continue on safety grounds.
It was a farcical scene that was to the acute embarrassment of the league.
Remarkably, though, there has been a trend for such incidents since the beginning of the season, with Marseille typically the victims.
Indeed, Payet, one of Ligue 1’s standout performers this season, has now been the unlucky recipient of a bottle to the head on two occasions already since August. He was similarly struck in a derby match against Nice on August 22, causing ugly scenes that saw the Marseille bench empty and a brawl ensue between players, staff and supporters.
Previously, OM’s match with Montpellier on the opening day of the season was subject to a similar stoppage because of supporters – substitute Valentin Rongier was struck on that occasion while warming up – while subsequently the Derby du Nord between Lens and Lille, and Saint-Etienne’s home fixture against Angers have both been halted because of fan trouble.
Marseille, meanwhile, have not been innocent themselves. During their home clash against Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar had to be shielded from a hail of bottles by riot police when he took corners.
It has taken, however, Payet to be significantly injured for the authorities to finally be stirred into genuine action.
“Are we playing in the suburbs of Paris? When you go and play in Garges, Sarcelles, Villepinte… Ok, that’s difficult. But we’re in Ligue 1, right?” France legend Thierry Henry told Amazon Prime in his role as pundit at the weekend’s game.
“It’s lamentable. There are people who must denounce this in the stands. It’s a cowardly act.”
In the aftermath, two fans were seen in heated discussion, with one offering the presumed aggressor a strong slap to the face. The damage, though, had already been done – not only to Lyon, but to the league’s credibility.
As Henry pointed out: “Lyon against Marseille is seen as a flagship match in England. People are going to see a match interrupted by idiots.”
With Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe all at PSG, and the general standard of play considered to be higher than in a long time, never before has there been so many eyes on Ligue 1. Equally, though, the supporters have never posed such great problems.
Getty ImagesIt is true that the phenomenon of fans throwing plastic bottles at players taking corners has been a problem in France for years, yet patsy punishments from the league have led to a situation whereby there is almost a free for all.
The tipping point was the aforementioned Nice vs Marseille fixture. This was the opportunity for the French League (LFP) to send out a message to players, clubs and supporters that such behaviour would finally be stamped down on after a high-profile serious injury.
Nice were instructed to play three matches behind closed doors and were deducted a point, but it fell well short of what many critics had hoped to see given their fans had advanced onto the field in open warfare with the opposing team.
For instance, Marseille were not awarded the victory and instead trapsed to Troyes, where the fixture was replayed in a stadium both empty and neutral. There was also a widespread feeling that a more severe points deduction was appropriate.
Getty ImagesIncidents following the scenes at the Allianz Riviera had, until now, been comparatively less serious, but given the LFP’s relatively weak president, they had handcuffed themselves to modest punishments.
“It’s a question of morality,” Marseille president Pablo Longoria said after the match in Nice. “There are certain things that we cannot accept. If this happened in the European Cup, the club would be suspended for several seasons.”
He was not a lone voice.
“I think the only solution to curb these pitch invasions is to take penalty points. It’s the only sanction that’s really scary. Otherwise, we will not eradicate this phenomenon,” Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas echoed back in August.
He was at pains after a supporter of his side had erred to stress, however, that it was an “uncontrollable individual”.
The risk, though, could easily be better mitigated. Plastic bottles should be banned from stadiums while players must be better protected, particularly when taking corners. Raising nets temporarily in such situations would be one easy way to limit the chances of a player being struck.
In the meantime, discussions are taking place between key government officials as well as the leading figures from the LFP and French FA, Vincent Labrune and Noel Le Graet. A resolution to those talks is expected in around a fortnight.
Incidentally, the antagonist in Sunday’s drama earned himself a six-month suspended prison sentence.
What is clear is that the status quo cannot go on. It is embarrassing for fans, damaging to clubs and humiliating to the league.