Marseille handed suspended European ban

The French side are on thin ice after European football’s governing body took issue with the behaviour of their supporters

Marseille will be banned from the next European competition they qualify for should they fall foul of any UEFA regulations in the next two seasons.

UEFA has taken a dim view of the behaviour of Marseille fans during the 2017-18 Europa League campaign, citing four matches where rules were broken.

The games in question all came in the knockout stages of the competition, starting with their last-eight meeting at home to RB Leipzig, before both legs of their semi-final with Red Bull Salzburg and the final against Atletico Madrid in Lyon.

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Marseille were charged with crowd disturbances, acts of damage, setting off of fireworks, throwing of objects and a delayed kick-off by Europe’s governing body.

Having found the French side guilty, UEFA has revealed a lengthy list of sanctions, one of which would see Marseille excluded from playing in Europe for a season.

That ban has been deferred for a probationary period of two years, but the other punishments come into force immediately.

Marseille’s next home European match at the Stade Velodrome will be played behind closed doors and the subsequent clash will see areas of the stadium closed.

A fine of €100,000 has also been levied against the club, and they must pay for the damages caused by Marseille fans to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais during their 3-0 final defeat to Atleti.

Marseille finished last season fourth in Ligue 1, earning them an automatic spot in the 2018-19 Europa League group stages.

They will have to wait until August 31 to find out who they will face in the competition.