Nice docked points, Marseille handed bans for brawl which caused Ligue 1 match to be abandoned | Football News
French club Nice has been handed a two-point penalty, one of which is suspended, following fan violence during a game against Marseille last month.
Ligue 1’s disciplinary commission said the game, which was abandoned with 15 minutes left after home fans threw projectiles and invaded the pitch, will be replayed at a neutral site and without fans.
After the crowd trouble, Nice had to play their next home match without supporters and Ligue 1 have confirmed the club will now have to play two extra games behind closed doors, including the replay against Marseille.
The point deduction means Nice will drop to fifth place – one point behind Marseille in the standings, with six points from three games.
Pablo Fernandez, a member of the Marseille staff who was involved in the scuffle, has been suspended until June while Marseille player Alvaro Gonzalez was handed a two-game suspension.
Meanwhile, Dimitri Payet escaped with a one-game suspended sentence.
During the game, Payet was hit by a bottle and fell to the ground. He got back up and threw it at home fans, prompting a significant number of Nice supporters to rush the pitch.
Marseille physio Pablo Fernandez has been banned until June for his role in the trouble, while defender Alvaro Gonzalez has been given a two-game suspension
Blows were exchanged between players and staff members as security officials and riot police struggled to regain control.
Nice were leading 1-0 when the game was suspended for 90 minutes, with Marseille then refusing to come back out to finish the match.
