The heated Ligue 1 rivalry between Saint-Etienne and Lyon took an ugly turn as the match was suspended for 40 minutes following an incident where an assistant referee, Mehdi Rahmouni, was struck by a projectile thrown from the stands.
Despite the disruption, Saint-Etienne emerged victorious with a 2-1 win at their home ground.
The drama unfolded in the 44th minute, with Lyon trailing 1-0, when Rahmouni, preparing for a throw-in, was hit by what French outlet L’Équipe reported to be a coin.
Medical staff from the visiting team promptly attended to the injured official, and referee François Letexier led players and staff off the pitch.
After a lengthy delay and clearance from the medical team, the game resumed. Saint-Etienne capitalized on their lead to secure a crucial win in the fiery derby, but not without controversy.
League matchday representative Noel Mannino warned that any further disruptions would have resulted in the match being permanently abandoned.
The incident highlighted ongoing concerns about crowd behavior in Ligue 1. Lyon fans were notably absent due to a travel ban imposed after previous disturbances.
Saint-Etienne, too, had faced sanctions recently for pyrotechnic use and verbal abuse, with the threat of partial stadium closures looming over the club.
This derby follows a string of unsettling incidents, including the abandonment of Saint-Etienne’s March fixture at Montpellier, where flares thrown onto the pitch caused part of a stand to catch fire.
