Marseille police hold 18 fans in custody after training ground stormed

Marseille’s Ligue 1 game with Rennes at the Stade Velodrome has been postponed on safety grounds after fans stormed into Marseille’s training ground earlier in the day.

Police on horseback patrol the velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, Saturday Jan. 30, 2021.The French league postponed Marseille's home game against Rennes just three hours before kickoff on Saturday after angry Marseille fans marched to the club's training complex to protest poor results.

French police in Marseille were holding 18 people in custody on Sunday after hundreds of fans stormed the training ground of football club Olympique de Marseille a day earlier, the local prosecutor said.

The hardcore Ultras were demonstrating against the club's leadership and a poor run of results. The supporters forced their way into the Commanderie training ground, hurling flares and firecrackers.

 

The club's Saturday evening match against Stade Rennais was postponed. Marseille condemned a "frenzy of violence" and said damage amounting to several hundred thousand euros had been caused.

All 18 being held by police in relation to the violence were adults, prosecutor Dominique Laurent said in a statement. Marseille is seventh in the Ligue 1 standings, 14 points adrift of leader Olympique Lyonnais and failed to progress from the group stage of this season's Champions League.

Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas has hinted he will leave the club when his contract expires in June.