Marseille and Nice have become the latest clubs to face sanctions from UEFA as a result of troubling fan incidents, with the Disciplinary Committee of the governing body ruling that both clubs will host their next matches in the respective European competition in an empty stadium.
As reported by L’Équipe, OM will play Sporting CP in a stadium without supporters on the back of the sanctions that penalised the Ligue 1 side after a host of cases saw their fans getting engaged in violence and malicious activities in their last Champions League home game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
While it will be a completely empty stadium at Marseille for the Frankfurt game, only the North bend of the Vélodrome stadium will be closed in OM’s home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on November 1. OM fans were punished for “throwing objects”, “using smoke bombs”, “pointing lasers”, and “blocking public passages”.
Nice have agreed to the same fortune in their next UEFA Europa Conference League home game against Slovácko on October 13, with the French side ordered to welcome the Czech football club in the absence of the home crowd.
They have also been penalised with a fine of 100,000 euros and a two-match travel ban for their supporters following the “serious disturbance” in the game against Köln. The disciplinary committee of the European body also prohibits Nice from selling tickets as it is understood that a banner of “No to racism” will be deployed to cover the empty seats.