Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas upset at Marseille treatment of Valbuena

21 September 2015 11:46

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has accused Marseille of allowing a 'vendetta' against Mathieu Valbuena to disrupt Sunday's clash at the Stade Velodrome.

The game had to be suspended for more than 20 minutes in the second half as the home crowd, whose team were losing 1-0 and down to 10 men, threw objects including glass bottles and flares onto the field.

OM returned after the stoppage to equalise through defender Karim Rekik as the game finished 1-1.

Lyon's former Marseille playmaker Valbuena was on the receiving end of much of the harshest treatment, both from the crowd and the home players.

Romain Alessandrini was shown a straight red card just before half-time after a reckless lunge at Valbuena, who was earlier sent careering over the touchline by Rekik's robust aerial challenge.

Valbuena, who spent eight years at OM, was also jeered and pelted with objects when he took corners while cameras picked up an effigy of him hanging from a makeshift gallows.

The outspoken Aulas told reporters at the Stade Velodrome: "If a 10th of what happened here in Marseille took place in Bastia or Ajaccio, I can tell you that the game would have been stopped and there would have been unheard-of sanctions.

"The Marseille directors were irresponsible, they allowed a vendetta against Mathieu Valbuena and that's intolerable."

France's secretary of state for sport, Thierry Braillard, has called for new security measures in response to the incidents.

France will stage next summer's European Championship, with the Velodrome due to host six matches including a quarter-final and a semi-final, and Braillard is concerned by Sunday's scenes.

"Marseille is a football city and the Marseille crowd is known for being formidable, (but) this is unacceptable and I think there will have to be much stricter controls," Braillard told radio network RTL.

"I think security measures will have to be taken, for example we can no longer have glass bottles on the terraces.

"We are six months from a major event, the hosting of the European Championship, and I call on everyone to respond to what happened."

Marseille coach Michel appeared fearful of sanctions over the incident as he spoke to his club's official website, om.net.

He said: "Of course, I am against anything that could force us to play in an empty stadium because without supporters, football is no longer a spectacle.

"Our crowd can help the team. With an empty stadium, it would be more difficult."

Valbuena told his former club's website: "Of course, I was disappointed.

"You have to respect my decisions and my choices. It's a shame to throw away eight years just because I have signed for Lyon.

"The club gave me a lot but I gave a lot to the club as well. I understand the fans are disappointed but it's too much.

"On the pitch there was a lot of intensity and it fell upon me. I spent the game taking knocks.

"Afterwards I went into the (Marseille) dressing room and they were all happy to see me. I have a lot of friends here and I have kept good relationships with everyone."

Valbuena almost won the game with a 90th-minute shot for Lyon, whose goal came from Alexandre Lacazette's first-half penalty.

Source: PA