An attack on Marseille attacking midfielder, Dimitri Payet forced a league game between Marseille and Lyon to be canceled on Sunday, November 21, 2021.
Dimitri Payet was attacked in the first five minutes of the game when he went to take a corner kick in Lyon’s Groupama Stadium. As he was preparing for the kick, a Lyon fan threw a plastic bottle on the 34-year-old attacking midfielder.
The bottle hit his head and forced the player to the ground. Immediately that happened, security guards shielded him from the crowd while the medical team in the stadium rushed to him for treatment.
Dimitri Payet Head Shot 😬
— Siaran Bola Live (@SiaranBolaLive) November 22, 2021
pic.twitter.com/PCy2Pz5bwd
Lyon’s players also rushed to the scene of the incident in an attempt to protect their visitors against their home fans.
In an attempt to ensure that everything is put under control, the center referee, Ruddy Buquet decided to permit the players to go to the dressing room until further notice.
Afterward, the stadium announcement claimed that the fan that threw a plastic bottle on Dimitri Payet has been arrested. It was also announced that the match would resume with a warning that the game would be abandoned if there was more trouble.
After the announcement, Lyon’s players came out of the dressing room to warm up which signaled that the game would resume. However, Marseille’s players did not show up to continue with the game. Hence, the match was postponed indefinitely.
The Lyon fan who threw the bottle at Dimitri Payet was slapped by his own fans after the game with Marseille was suspended.pic.twitter.com/TLsNGoXFkw
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) November 21, 2021
In reaction to the incident, Lyon CEO Jean-Michel Aulas apologized to Dimitri Payet and confirmed that “the perpetrator was immediately reported and caught. It’s an isolated act”.
“Our players followed Mr. Buquet’s orders by returning to warm up,” he told Amazon Prime. “Then the referee changed his mind so they returned to the locker room. They wisely waited for the decision and acceded to it…
“There was an extremely violent reaction from Marseille when the decision to resume the match was taken,” Lyon CEO Jean-Michel Aulas told Amazon Prime.
“The referee then asked to see the regional prefect reverse his decision.”
Dimitri Payet is gradually becoming a show stopper in French Ligue 1
The Marseille vs Lyon game is the second game this season that has been halted due to an attack on Dimitri Payet.
Recall that in August, Payet followed Marseille to Nice for a French Ligue 1 game. During the game, Nice’s fans threw bottles on the pitch.
The 34-year-old French attacking midfielder who was hit by one of the bottles picked up one of the bottles and threw it at the fans which provoked more aggressive reactions.
