PSG-Marseille fan ban suspended by court

A court in Marseille on Thursday suspended the decision by France’s Professional Football League (LFP) to ban Marseille fans from their club’s match at Paris Saint-Germain on November 7.

The LFP’s Competitions Commission (COC) had earlier this month barred away fans from the league game at the Parc des Princes in Paris over security concerns, but nine Marseille supporters groups contested the decision.

The administrative court found that there was “a serious doubt about the legality of the (COC’s) decision”.

Olivier Grimaldi, representing the Marseille fans, said: “The LFP wants to portray OM supporters as thugs, even though all of the supporters groups have made huge efforts and are responsible.

“There are no incidents at (Marseille’s) Stade Velodrome. The barbarians are at Paris Saint-Germain, not at OM. And when the police take action, there are rules to follow: you have to establish exactly where the danger is and inform the parties concerned.

“All the groups are very happy with the administrative court’s decision. In light of this decision, they’ll go to the stadium!”

Claudine Maurain, lawyer for the LFP, said the French league had not sought to stigmatise the Marseille fans and insisted that the COC’s decision had been “a measure to protect the Marseille supporters”.

PSG and reigning champions Marseille are France’s two best-supported teams and recent matches between the clubs have been marred by fan violence.

Supporters clashed in central Marseille in October 2009 after a league game between the clubs was cancelled at short notice due to an outbreak of swine flu in the Parisians’ squad.

Marseille fans were banned from travelling to the return match, in February this year, but rival groups of PSG supporters fought each other after the game and one fan was beaten to death.