Marseille fans weren't too happy that their former star Mathieu Valbuena came back to their beloved Stade Velodrome traitorously wearing a Lyon shirt. The fans' frenzy built to a state of full pandemonium—with Valbuena and his keeper Anthony Lopes being pelted with various objects, including a flare—that suspended the game for 20 minutes. (There is a joke about the French Revolution that I'll just leave alone for now.)The momentum started with pre-game antics that went so far as to hang an eerie Valbuena dummy in effigy.
But, according to Goal.com, the real friction came from a series of controversial decisions by the officials, including: a penalty kick awarded to Lyon in the first half, a penalty called for a tackle on Valbuena, as well as Marseille player Benjamin Mendy being booked for taking a dive. That's when Marseille fans started making it hail on Valbuena during a corner and later on Lopes.Play resumed after 20 minutes of calming the fans down. But geez, for a minute there, they were treating Valbuena like a real Robespierre. (Had to go there.)Marseille fans hang a dummy of Mathieu Valbuena and give him the traitor treatment at home to Lyon tonight. pic.twitter.com/jM5FPAtGVR
— It's an ultra life (@itsultralife01) September 20, 2015