And the match ended.
In the 5th minute of this promising Lyon-Marseille event, the twenty-two players left the pitch following regrettable incidents.
Chronology.
The trigger for incidents
8:50 p.m
.: Dimitri Payet alerts the referee when he has to take a corner.
The reason ?
The first throws of projectiles coming from a platform of Lyon supporters.
Mr Buquet thus goes towards one of the delegates present to calm the spirits.
Read alsoOL-OM: the lunar and pathetic passing of arms between the League and the prefect
8:51 p.m
.: The warnings weren't enough.
While Dimitri Payet wants to take this corner, an almost full water bottle hits him near his head.
The leader of OM collapses, his teammates come to the aid, one of them seriously insulting the opposing supporters.
On the ground, Payet is being treated while some OL fans hurl abuse at him.
Already hit by a projectile in Nice at the end of August, the Reunionese is the target of the ire of some irresponsible fans.
Beginning of a dismal evening.
Dimitri Payet PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP
8:55 p.m
.: The Marseillais, joined by a Payet who got up, rush to the locker room.
The Lyonnais leave the lawn in their turn under a few whistles.
Beginning of a long wait for the Lyon public when it should be remembered that OM supporters were not allowed to travel.
To read also "I made the decision to stop the match": the referee of OL-OM assumes and closes the debates
The interminable wait
9:20 p.m
.: Several sources announce that the supporter who targeted Payet was spotted and arrested by the authorities, before being evacuated by the stadium.
9:30 p.m
.: The referee, Mr Buquet, does not want to resume the match according to Prime Video, broadcaster of the match, due to the lack of security for the players.
The clock is ticking as a few supporters leave the stands.
10:05 p.m
.: In a
press
release, the Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Rhône region affirms that the decision to resume the match belongs to the referee and not to the prefect.
Ubuesque.
The announcement of a possible takeover
10:07 p.m
.: The stadium announcer speaks and announces that the match will resume but that at the slightest incident, it will be definitively stopped.
The Lyon public regains hope and the local players are warming up on the lawn.
10:20 p.m
.: If the OL players are on the lawn, the Marseillais are furious at this announcement and do not want to resume the debates, Alvaro Gonzalez even banging violently on a door to show his dissatisfaction.
After leaving the crisis unit, the referee then moved himself in the locker room of OM to assess the psychological state of the Phocéens and in particular Dimitri Payet.
22:27
: After the Prefect, it is the League's turn to react by means of a press release.
The LFP thus returns the ball to the Prefect, indicating that they regret the Prefect's decision to resume the match.
Read alsoOL-OM: the lunar and pathetic passing of arms between the League and the prefect
10:40 p.m
.: Almost two hours after the end of the match, the public decides to leave in large numbers.
There are not many people left in the stadium in front of the inevitable.
10:42 p.m
.: The Groupama Stadium announcer returns to the pitch and announces the final end of the match on the referee's decision due to the lack of security for the players.
The end of a special and, above all, grotesque evening.
The actors react
11:00 p.m .
: First to be invited to react to incidents in front of the microphones of Prime Video, broadcaster of the meeting, Jean-Michel Aulas. The president of OL tried to minimize the incidents: “
The bottle that was thrown at Dimitri created an incredible situation. The security services reacted immediately, he
(the author of the bottle throwing)
was arrested. He is a single individual, who is not in touch with the groups of supporters
(Lyon)
. We had imagined with the prefect that the match could resume, the referee had thus decided before the prosecutor, the DDSP
(departmental director of public security).
And when he returned to announce to the players, there was a violent reaction from Marseille who demanded that Mr. Buquet go and ask for news of Dimitri
”.
11:10 pm
: Pablo Longoria, president of OM, in turn came to the microphones to give news of his affected player: “
It was the club's position that the referee must make the decision. (...) Dimitri is affected psychologically, it is not normal. We have always condemned any type of violence, it affects everyone. No one who loves soccer can be happy tonight. The shock was a bit violent, he was especially very touched, with ice on his head in the locker room. As for the referee, when he came to our locker room, he always said that his sporting decision was to stop the match.
"
11:25 pm
: Faced with the seriousness of the facts, the referee Mr Ruddy Buquet came in turn to give his version and contradicted that given by Jean-Michel Aulas: “
My decision was always not to resume the match.
There is the field and there is the extra-sportsman but the decision ultimately came back to me and I made it.
(...) We would have liked to come and talk in other conditions, the world of football and sport in general are waiting for other acts.
A welcome word of the end while the League and the authorities will have to take their responsibilities.
The disciplinary committee of the LFP will also meet urgently from this Monday to examine
"these new extremely serious facts"
.
