The 26-year-old man admitted “being the author of the projectile shot in the direction of the visitor parking lot” during this meeting of the second day of the Football Champions League, said the press release from the prosecution. The Marseille supporter was released by the judge of freedom and detention, but the prosecution appealed this decision.
The victim, a 65-year-old man, had been shot in the neck. His companion, aged 64, had been burned in one hand while trying to spread the smoke.
At the end of the meeting, which saw OM lose (1-0) and during which 17 people were arrested, the German supporter was evacuated to La Timone hospital. His damage had been assessed at 120 days of ITT.
During this match, the first smoke bombs were launched from the parking lot where more than 3,000 German supporters were installed, towards the North bend of the Stade Vélodrome, where several groups of OM fans are gathered. The Marseillais had responded by also launching a few smoke bombs and fireworks. The CRS installed along the visitor parking lot did not intervene.
According to the press release from the Marseille prosecutor’s office, the German supporter had been hit by a distress rocket launched from “the bottom of the North bend”.
Several groups of Marseille supporters — Dodger’s, Fanatics and MTP — are installed at the top of the North bend. Since the dissolution of the Yankees, the bottom of the bend has been occupied by a less active group, the Club des Amis de l’OM. The area from which the rocket launch is not reserved for a group and the supporters circulate there quite freely.
During the match, inside the stadium, German supporters also gave Nazi salutes in the visitors’ stand.
After these incidents, the Marseille club was sanctioned with a match behind closed doors for its next Champions League match, against Sporting Lisbon.
On Wednesday, for the 5th day of Group D of the C1, OM will meet the team from Frankfurt, Germany.
