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LIGUE 1

Ligue 1: Lyon-Marseille called off after Payet struck by bottle

French football's relationship with the ultras supporters groups is under the miscoscope again after Lyon-Marseille was suspended on Sunday night.

Ligue 1: Lyon-Marseille called off after Payet struck by bottle
Ligue 1: Lyon-Marseille called off after Payet struck by bottle

The Ligue 1 game between Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique Marseille was called off on Sunday after Marseille's Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle thrown from the stands at the Groupama Stadium.

Payet fell to the ground as he was getting ready to take a corner kick after five minutes, and both teams were sent to the dressing room by referee Ruddy Buquet. Payet left the pitch with an ice pack on his head.

The sides spent an hour and a half in the dressing room before an announcement at 22:00 that the game would be restarted. However, Marseille said they would not be coming back out while Lyon players warmed up on the pitch and 45 minutes later the game was officially called off after discussions between the LFP, local authorities in Lyon and stadium security.

The spectator who threw the bottle at Payet was reportedly arrested inside the stadium and transferred to a local police station. It now remains to be seen what action will be taken against both clubs and if the game will be replayed at a later date or subject to disciplinary proceedings and possible points deductions.

Ligue 1 under siege

Ligue 1 has been marred by crowd trouble this season.

Nice were docked two points, one of them suspended, after serious incidents during their game against Marseille, whose players clashed with home fans who pelted them with missiles and stormed onto the pitch in August.

The northern derby between RC Lens and Lille was also hit by crowd problems in September, with the start of the second half being delayed by about half a hour after rival fans threw objects at each other before people ran on to the pitch, prompting riot police and stewards to intervene.

There has also been crowd trouble in Montpellier, Angers, Marseille and St Etienne.