Protests have occurred at Olympique de Marseille’s training grounds as fans rise against the the club’s board of directors.
This Saturday afternoon, a group of angry fans who support French side Olympique de Marseille attempted to break into the Commanderie, the club’s training grounds. Several hundreds of supporters gathered outside the training center, just hours before OM’s clash against Rennes for Ligue 1.
According to L’Equipe, the protest had been planned days ago, as members of all of Marseille’s supporter associations gathered in a meeting last Tuesday. The group of fans marched on to the Commanderie, lighting up fireworks and very-lights that created a cloud of smoke on the street. Additionally, the supporters started getting agitated and set of the training ground’s gates on fire.
Moreover, the supporters broke into the Commanderie and began vandalizing the training facilities, breaking windows, and yelling they want the club’s president Jacques-Henri Eyraud out of the club. Marseille fans have become increasingly unhappy with the team’s poor performances. In fact, they question Eyraud’s leadership as they believe he’s a Parisien in disguise.
To add up to Marseille’s woes, the team’s manager Andre Villas-Boas also stated this Friday that he would be leaving at the end of the season. The Portuguese coach confessed he had not received any offers from Eyraud’s part. According to RMC Sport, at least 25 arrests have been made after the fans’ coup. The club is yet to release an official statement on the matter.
Saint-Etienne suffered a similar fate this Saturday.
Unfortunately, what happened in Marseille wasn’t an isolated case. This Saturday morning, 300 Saint-Etienne supporters also gathered on the team’s training grounds. In fact, the fans surrounded the players as they underwent their practice session and pressured them into improving their form. The incident happened after the French side suffered a humiliating defeat against club rivals, Lyon. However, there were no reports of violence.
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