Wild brawl between players and fans halts match

A French league shot lucifer betwixt Nice and Marseille was abandoned connected Sunday erstwhile the visiting squad refused to restart the crippled aft location fans earlier threw projectiles and invaded the field.

Unverified photos connected societal media showed astatine slightest 3 players were injured.

Incidents betwixt the players of Marseille - present manager of OM Jorge Sampaoli pushed backmost by his unit and players - and the supporters of Nice who participate the transportation during the Ligue 1 lucifer betwixt OGC Nice (OGCN) and Olympique de Marseille (OM). (Getty)

The crippled had initially been suspended due to the fact that of the instrumentality unit with astir 15 minutes to go. When it was decided to restart play, with hosts Nice 1-0 ahead, Marseille refused to instrumentality to the field.

"The league decided to restart the match. We decided, for the information of our players who were attacked, to not restart the lucifer due to the fact that the information of our players wasn't guaranteed," Marseille president Pablo Longoria said.

"The referee agreed with us. He confirmed to america that information wasn't guaranteed, helium didn't privation to restart the match. But the league decided to restart. That's unacceptable for america and that's wherefore we decided not to restart the lucifer and to instrumentality to Marseille."

Nice warmed up and the lucifer was meant to restart with a Marseille corner. In surreal scenes, since determination were nary visiting players contiguous to instrumentality the corner, the referee blew his whistle and the lucifer was abandoned.

If accustomed French league rules are applied, an automatic 3-0 triumph volition beryllium awarded to Nice.

Nice supporters had already been warned against throwing objects by the stadium announcer erstwhile Marseille midfielder Dimitri Payet was deed connected the backmost by a vessel thrown from an country with Nice fans.

Payet threw the vessel backmost into the crowd, prompting a important fig of Nice fans to unreserved the field.

The referee halted the lucifer and sent players to the locker rooms.

There were unverified photos circulating connected societal media of Payet with humor and scratches connected his back, portion teammates Matteo Guendouzi and Luan Peres were pictured with strangle marks connected their necks.

"It's disappointing that the lucifer ended this way," Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère said. "Everyone saw what happened. Our fans threw bottles, we can't contradict that. But I deliberation that unfortunately, what sparked things disconnected was the absorption of 2 Marseille players, to propulsion backmost the bottles. After that, it snowballed.

Jorge Sampaoli Head manager of Olympique De Marseille grips the limb of Jean-Clair Todibo of OGC Nice arsenic helium reacts angrily during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats lucifer betwixt Nice and Marseille astatine Allianz Riviera Stadium. (Getty)

"I don't deliberation the Marseille information should person got progressive connected the transportation and they surely shouldn't person deed our players, due to the fact that 2 of our players were hit. But that's not the statement here."

Nice players reportedly tried to person their counterparts to instrumentality to the tract aft it was decided to restart the match.

"I didn't truly recognize the determination by our Marseille colleagues of not wanting to restart," Rivère said. "Everyone advised them to restart, determination were 15 minutes left. I talked to the supporters ... they guaranteed maine determination wouldn't beryllium immoderate much problems.

"I cognize precise good that the lucifer could person restarted, everyone was for it ... unluckily Marseille didn't privation to restart. Duly noted."

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