The Marseillais are not welcome in Thessaloniki. The Greek authorities asked UEFA on Monday to ban the movement of OM supporters to the Toumba stadium of PAOK Salonika, for the quarter-final second leg of the Europa League Conference scheduled for Thursday evening (9 p.m.). The objective is to avoid the consequences of the overflows which took place in the first leg, in Marseille, last Thursday.
Before the match, near the Vélodrome stadium, several PAOK supporters, described as “thugs” by the Bouches-du-Rhônes police headquarters, had been arrested following damage. The match then took place in a poisonous atmosphere. Nearly a dozen people were arrested, mainly for violence against persons holding public authority and attempts to introduce smoke bombs. The supporters of each camp clashed with throwing firecrackers or seats, forcing the CRS to intervene.
The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection clarified in a press release that “the General Directorate of Police of Thessaloniki has submitted a written request to the competent authorities for the prohibition of the organized and individual movement of Marseille supporters”. A ban that would be more symbolic than anything else. One of the main groups of Marseille supporters has already canceled its trip to Greece.
And for good reason, the coach of PAOK himself, Razvan Lucescu, had warned the Olympians: “It is better that your fans do not come to us”. The Romanian coach was very critical of the welcome received by his team on the Côte-d’Azur: “I am very disappointed with what I saw. It’s a very bad image for the city of Marseille.
Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli hoped, however, that the fans could come and support their team. “It’s a football match, I hope our supporters can be in Greece,” he replied to Razvan Lucescu the day after the first leg. And the OM coach added: “As far as the coach’s statements are concerned, I don’t think there is any reason to be. By talking about something that hasn’t happened yet, we’ve created a threat.” One thing is certain: Thursday night’s game promises to be hot, on the field but also outside.