Marseille fears Greek supporters arriving before OM‑Olympiacos match

Olympiacos travels to Marseille this Thursday for the second matchday of the Europa League against OM, but local authorities are strongly concerned about the arrival of around a thousand Greek supporters, judging the risk of disturbances to be very high.

Restrictive measures under consideration

A prefectural order now bans any person declaring themselves a supporter of Olympiacos or Red Star Belgrade from accessing the Vélodrome stadium and circulating in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th districts. The authorities thus wish to cancel the travel of these supporters, but the time frame is considered too short to enforce the ban.

The National Directorate for the Fight against Hooliganism (DNLH) rated the match 5/5, labeling it as very high risk. Among the Greek fans, two hundred claim to belong to the hooligan movement, and authorities fear clashes with the Marseille ultra CU84, linked to supporters of AEK Athens, a rival of Olympiacos.

Context of tension and reactions

The police, already deployed due to high school protests, fear fights on the sidelines of the duel. Despite the first order, the Interior Ministry has not yet formalised a travel ban, and experts believe the measure could be challenged before the administrative court.

Sources indicate that some Greek supporters are already in Marseille or on their way, making their interception difficult. Moreover, AEK fans joined OM supporters during the match in Troyes, highlighting the complexity of the security climate.

Authorities maintain maximum vigilance 48 hours before kickoff, to prevent any incident before the first Europa League fixture in Marseille.