Advertisement

Europa League: Two Lyon players file police complaint after being attacked by Bastian fans

In a statement, he spoke of the "near certitude of heavy administrative and sporting sanctions for the club... which will almost certainly condemn it to relegation, even threaten its disappearance."

Europa League: Two Lyon players file police complaint after being attacked by Bastian fans

Bouches-du-Rhône:Two Lyon players have filed police complaints after being attacked by Bastia fans during Sunday`s Ligue 1 match.

Sunday`s clash was called off at half-time with the score at 0-0 after fans of the Corsican side twice invaded the pitch and attacked Lyon players.

Goalkeepers Anthony Lopes and Mathieu Gorgelin "filed a complaint against persons unknown for violence at a sporting venue," Bastia`s public prosecutor Nicolas Bessone told AFP, confirming a story published on RMC Sport.

Bessone also said teenage forward Jean-Philippe Mateta claimed to have "received a number of blows but did not wish to press charges", contrary to earlier reports.

An investigation has been opened but no-one was arrested at the Armand Cesari stadium.

A hardcore section of home fans had targeted Lyon`s players as they warmed up before the game, causing it to be delayed by more than 50 minutes, and then again as the two sides went in at half-time.

The French league`s disciplinary commission is certain to hit Bastia hard after it docked them one point -- suspended -- and ordered the club to close its East Stand for three games over racist abuse directed at Nice striker Mario Balotelli in February.

The president of Corsica`s executive council Gilles Simeoni condemned Sunday`s "deplorable and unjustifiable" events which could leave bottom-of-the-table Bastia in grave danger.

In a statement, he spoke of the "near certitude of heavy administrative and sporting sanctions for the club... which will almost certainly condemn it to relegation, even threaten its disappearance."

It was the second time in four days that Lyon had been caught up in fan violence.

Their Europa League home quarter-final against Besiktas on Thursday had been delayed by 45 minutes following another pitch invasion by Lyon fans trying to escape projectiles and firecrackers being thrown at them by the Turkish side`s supporters in the tribune above.