November 10, (THEWILL) – French football club Lyon announced on Friday, that they will appeal the French league’s (LFP) decision to replay the postponed match against Marseille next month in front of fans. Lyon will request again that the match be played at a neutral venue, according to the club’s Director of Football, Vincent Ponsot.
The initial match on October 29 was called off after the Lyon team bus was attacked with stones on the way to Marseille’s Velodrome stadium. Lyon coach Fabio Grosso suffered cuts to his face requiring stitches. With 60,000 fans already in the stadium, the match was postponed due to safety concerns.
Ponsot stated that Lyon want to play the match without fear or risk of further incidents. He added that Lyon does not want Marseille to face sporting punishment since the players were not involved. However, Lyon believes the match should be held at a neutral location. Ponsot said Lyon will continue to appeal the LFP’s decision to replay the match in Marseille on December 6.
The LFP said it received guarantees from local police that the rematch in Marseille could be held safely. However, Lyon dismissed this as a political decision and questioned whether another incident could occur. Both Grosso and midfielder Corentin Tolisso expressed hesitance about returning to Marseille under the current circumstances.
Meanwhile, the LFP Disciplinary Committee has opened an investigation into racist behaviour by Lyon fans during the initial postponed match. Lyon currently sits bottom of the league without a win this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
