The headline Ligue 1 match between third and fourth placed sides Marseille and Lyon was postponed on Sunday because of violent winds sweeping the Marseille region.
Marseille could have gone back equal on points with Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain had they beaten cash-strapped Lyon, who are just a point adrift of their opponents ahead of the match.
Lyon would have fancied their chances of pulling off a result at the Stade Velodrome as despite their financial worries they have not lost in any competition since September 30.
Marseille on the other hand lost to struggling Troyes last Sunday, have leading striker Andre-Pierre Gignac out for several weeks with a fractured left foot and lost to German outfit Borussia Moenchengladbach on Thursday in the Europa League.
"At a meeting at the stade Velodrome, the regional security commission said they were not in favour of the match going ahead," a statement on the Marseille website read.
"The match has been postponed to a date yet to be decided."
So strong were the winds that they badly damaged a large ferry owned by the National Corsican Company, the "Napoleon Bonaparte", which crashed against the Marseille dock.
The flooded vessel, which can carry 2,650 passengers and 708 vehicles, was still tilted on one side in the harbour on Sunday afternoon and was waiting to be "stabilised", Hugues Parant, the prefect of Marseille, told AFP.
Source: AFP
