(Reuters) – Olympique de Marseille fans have been banned from travelling to Lyon on Sunday due to the risk of violence between supporters and law enforcement, the French Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
Marseille will play at Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1 on Sunday with no fans in the away end. The ministry cited multiple previous instances of violent behaviour by both Lyon and Marseille supporters as the reason behind the ban.
According to the decree, there has been previous violence against law enforcement, while fans have also lit firecrackers, smoke bombs and explosives that have caused injuries and property damage.
“Any individual or collective movement, of any means, by a person claiming to be a supporter of Olympique de Marseille or behaving as such is prohibited between the municipalities of the Bouches-du-Rhone department and the municipalities of Decines-Charpieu, Meyzieu, and Lyon (Rhone),” the decree said.
“This measure will be in effect from midnight Sunday until midnight Monday.”
The ministry also cited the reduced availability of resources after the heightened security demands placed on law enforcement by the Olympic Games as well as ongoing protests due to unrest in the middle east and increased terrorist threats.
Lyon fans were banned from attending a Ligue 1 game at Marseille last December, while last season saw many violent incidents in Ligue 1 including at matches between the two clubs, leading to arrests and stadium bans.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
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