French football team Olympique Lyon's manager Fabio Grosso suffered a head injury in an attack by fans on the team bus on the way to Stade Velodrome on Sunday, forcing the postponement of their Ligue 1 football match against Marseille.
Grosso was injured by falling shards of glass and needed medical treatment. His face was bleeding heavily. Lyon assistant coach Raffaele Longo was also injured. Grosso suffered a deep cut above his left eye that required stitches and a large bandage.
Despite the attack, the Lyon team initially decided to play the match. However, they changed their mind when they saw the extent of Grosso's injuries.
"Our team decided they would play. I'm obviously proud of the captain, proud of the players, for wanting to do that," Lyon president John Textor told Amazon Prime Video. "But when we saw the coach, and we saw the extent of his injuries, it was just the right thing to do to postpone the game."
Textor said that Grosso had blood coming out of his head and pieces of glass stuck in his head. He said that he couldn't have a conversation with Grosso and that the team supported the referee's decision to postpone the game.
"I think our team supported the decision of the referee," Textor said. "They said, you know, it's not an emotional, physical game. It's a tactical game, and this is not the way football should be played."
Marseille president Pablo Longoria condemned the attack on Grosso and said that it was unacceptable.
"What happened to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso must be prevented. It's completely unacceptable," Longoria told Amazon Prime Video. "I'm angry. I'm really upset by the current situation. It shouldn't happen in football or in society."
The police arrested seven people suspected of being involved in the attack on the Lyon team bus.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
Watch: Afghanistan wicketkeeper and star batter suffers painful injury, walks off the field in 2nd over
'India too hot to handle': Pakistan's legendary pacer all praise for Men in Blue after England mauling
Turmoil escalates in Pakistan cricket as Babar Azam's WhatsApp chats leaked, major controversy grips PCB and Zaka Ashraf
