Lyon - Besiktas kick off late due to fans fighting

Early morning of April 14 (Vietnam time), the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final Lyon - Besiktas had to be delayed by 45 minutes due to violence in the stands of Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Besiktas and Lyon fans fight in the stands. Photo: Reuters

The incident took place just 20 minutes before the match when Lyon and Besiktas fans sitting in the stands behind the goal clashed fiercely, leading to fights and chaos spreading to the pitch.

“Objects and fireworks were continuously thrown from the stands, forcing many fans to take refuge on the pitch,” the Lyon club’s management board announced on Twitter. Panicked by the violence, many fans had to jump over the fence to run onto the pitch, looking for a safe place for themselves and their loved ones.

Many fans frantically ran onto the field to find a way out of the violent stands. Photo: Reuters

Not only that, fans of the two teams who had not yet entered the field also contributed to the riot by fighting outside the field.

The brawl was eventually broken up by police intervention shortly after kick-off. Around 500 police officers were deployed around the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium – double the usual number.

The chaos only ended after a large number of police intervened. Photo: Reuters

The match finally got underway, 45 minutes later than scheduled. The visitors Besiktas opened the scoring with Ryan Babel in the 15th minute. But two late goals from Corentin Tolisso (83rd minute) and Jeremy Morel (85th minute) helped Lyon turn the game around.

Lyon Club President Jean Michel Aulas had to enter the field to calm the fans. Photo: EPA

This is the third match to be affected by security in the European Cup in the past three days. The first was the bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus in the early morning of April 12. A day later, Leicester City fans clashed with the Madrid police.

Lyon players celebrate the spectacular victory. Photo: REUTERS

According to TTO