Lyon confirms that Fabio Grosso, their coach, was seriously injured in Marseille.

Lyon, a French Ligue 1 club, has reported that its coach, Fabio Grosso, was “seriously injured” in an attack on the team van on Sunday, October 29 in Marseille.

On their way to the Stade Velodrome for their French Ligue 1 match against Marseille on Sunday, Lyon fans assumed to be Marseille fans attacked them with projectiles including stones and pyrotechnics.

According to Lyon, both Raffaele Longo, Grosso’s assistant, and himself were hit in the face by projectiles.

Social media users shared photos of Grosso bleeding while being carried on a stretcher. The manager and his assistant were “directly hit and seriously injured in the face during the attack,” Lyon claims.

Lyon confirms that Fabio Grosso, their coach, was seriously injured in Marseille.
The visitors’ initial intention to play the game was altered after learning of Grosso and Longo’s injuries; also, the players’ psychological situations were considered.

Lyon issued a warning following the incident, noting the prospect of a “even more serious tragedy” if proper action is not done in reaction to the team’s attack.

“[Grosso] can’t hold a conversation, he had shards of glass in his face,” Lyon club president John Textor told Prime Video.

“I’m very angry – our players, our coach, prepared for tonight and the fans wanted to see the game played.”

“Once the window was broken, other projectiles hit him just above the eye,” Textor continued. There were beer bottles that hit him on the brow.”

Six visiting supporter coaches were also targeted ahead of the match between Lyon (bottom of the standings) and Marseille (tenth).

In a statement, Lyon said that it “regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille” , and added that it “invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs” .

Following the attack, it was decided not to play the game at a crisis meeting. The LFP’s Competitions Commission, which supervises French football, will make the decision.

Though they hoped the game would be played “as soon as possible and in the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome,” Marseille stated that they would respect whatever decision made regarding the game.