World Cup winner breaks silence after bus attack left him with bloodied face
Lyon manager Fabio Grosso says the attack on his team's bus over the weekend "could have been a tragedy".
Grosso, who was part of Italy's 2006 World Cup winning squad, was on the bus when it was pelted with stones and bricks as Lyon made their way to a Ligue 1 match. The 45-year-old required stitches after suffering facial injuries in the incident, while the match against Marseille was postponed.
The former left-back was struck by shards of glass, and received emergency medical treatment in the aftermath. Assistant manager Raffale Longo also suffered injuries in the attack but Grosso insists things could have been much worse.
“What happened could have been a tragedy," Grosso wrote on social media, as translated by Get French Football News. "It certainly was for the sport and all those that love it.
"I hope with all my heart that this will be a lesson," he continued. "I thank you all for your support. Go, Lyon."
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A number of footballers have shared messages of support for Grosso, including his 2006 World Cup team-mate Fabio Cannavaro. Former Juventus stars Claudio Marchisio and Felipe Melo also wished him well, while a Lyon fan account wrote: "All the people of Lyon are behind you Fabio get well soon".
According to L'Equipe, Grosso was given medical leave of up to 30 days following his injuries. The Italian wasn't spotted overseeing training on Tuesday, and reports in France suggest he will also be absent for Wednesday's session.
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Fabio Grosso has reportedly been placed on medical leave (Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/REX/Shutterstock)“Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Orange Vélodrome stadium, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses," a statement from Marseille read. "The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour. It has no place in the world of football and in society."
Lyon put out a statement of their own, drawing attention to previous incidents around Marseille v Lyon matches. "Due to the seriousness of the situation and the incident, the match officials decided not to play the match on this Sunday, a decision that Olympique Lyonnais fully understands in a context where it was clearly impossible for the match to take place," their statement read.
"The club will file a complaint in the coming days and will support anyone who wishes to do the same. Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and calls on the authorities to take the seriousness and the repetition of such incidents into account before an even more serious tragedy occurs," it ended.
Grosso's team sit bottom of Ligue 1, having failed to earn a win in their opening nine games. Marseille, who finished third last season, sit ninth at the time of writing and suffered an early elimination in Champions League qualifying.
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