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Lyon manager Fabio Grosso was left with a bloodied face after stones and flares were thrown at the team bus ahead of their clash at Marseille.
The shocking incident happened as Lyon made their way to the Stade Velodrome, where the Ligue 1 clash was scheduled to take place on Sunday, before it was postponed.
The former Italy star was hit by shards of glass and required medical treatment. Grosso’s assistant, Raffaele Longo, also sustained a facial injury.
The full extent of Grosso and Longo’s injuries aren’t fully known, however, he was seen with a bandage wrapped around his head and over his left eye.
Meanwhile, pictures of the Lyon bus in the aftermath show that many of the windows were smashed in.
Shortly after the incident, a video emerged of a group of hooligans dressed in black beginning their attack on the Lyon bus with stones and flares being launched.
Lyon issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, adding that they had initially looked for the match to go ahead, before realising the conditions of Grosso and Longo were ‘much more serious than expected’ and due to the ‘mental state of the players’.
The club said: “This Sunday evening, at the entrance to the Velodrome stadium, several individuals violently attacked the Olympique Lyonnais bus, as well as its staff and players.
“Six buses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters were also targeted. If in the past, attacks of this type had already taken place, which Olympique Lyonnais has always regretted, this Sunday, October 29, a new step towards the worst was taken.
“In fact, several secure windows were broken by heavy projectiles of unknown nature. These same projectiles penetrated the interior of the bus.
“Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were directly hit and seriously injured in the face during this attack. Present with them on the bus, the players and staff were also deeply affected by the violence of this attack, which Olympique Lyonnais strongly condemns.
“Initially, as indicated by the OL representative at the start of the crisis meeting, driven by their courage, the coach and the players wanted the meeting to be able to take place.
“Subsequently, the OL representative was informed of the physical condition of Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, much more serious than expected, but also of the negative medical opinions and the mental state of the players. She then announced a change in the situation, indicating the impossibility of playing the match.”
Lyon said it was ‘clearly impossible’ for the match to take place, adding that they planned to file a complaint ‘in the coming days’ before calling on the authorities to take action.
The club concluded: “Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs.”
French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, confirmed the match, which had been due to kick off at 7:45pm GMT was off after an emergency meeting.
Its statement read: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.
“In consultation with Olympique de Marseille and the public authorities, the OM-OL match will therefore not be played this evening at 8:45pm.
“It will now be up to the Competitions Commission to decide on the fate of this match by application of article 544 of the competition regulations.”
Marseille issued a statement condemning the attack and wishing 45-year-old Italian Grosso well.
“Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Stade Velodrome, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses,” the OM statement read.
“The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour which has no place in the world of football and in society.
“Due to a handful of mindless people, the game planned for this evening was spoiled and deprived 65,000 supporters of attending a football match.
“The club complies with the decision taken by the LFP and remains at its disposal so that the match which was scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, takes place as quickly as possible and under the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome.”
Grosso’s side were going into the match under huge pressure as they find themselves bottom of the French top flight with just three points from nine league outings.
Meanwhile, Marseille are ninth in Ligue 1 with three wins from nine.
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