Security guards injured as violence mars Marseille match at Athletic

Dom Farrell

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Security guards injured as violence mars Marseille match at Athletic image

Two security guards have been injured in clashes with Marseille fans at the Europa League match against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames.

The Ligue 1 club triumphed 2-1 to seal a 5-2 aggregate victory and book a quarter-final place but the game was marred by the behaviour of a section of the travelling supporters.

One of the guards, a 57-year-old man, was wounded in the neck by a sharp object but his injuries were not serious and he is in a stable condition, according to Basurto Hospital.

A second member of the security personnel sustained minor hand injuries.

The Bilbao police force tweeted to wish the injured staff – supplied by security firm Prosegur – a speedy recovery.

Additionally, from their position in the second tier of the stadium, Marseille fans lit flares and some fell into the section occupied by Bilbao supporters below.

When Athletic hosted Spartak Moscow during the previous round last month, a police officer died when he suffered a cardiac arrest following violence between rival fan groups ahead of kick-off.

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.