Sunday’s Ligue 1 tie between Lyon and Marseille was abruptly abandoned after Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle thrown from the stands five minutes into the game.
The incident occurred at Lyon when Payet was about to take a corner when a bottle was thrown at him and he left the Groupama Stadium pitch with an ice pack on his head.
Both sides were sent to the dressing room by referee Ruddy Buquet and after a long wait, Marseille’s players never returned to proceed with the game.
The game looked likely to continue when Lyon’s players came out on to the pitch, but Marseille’s players never emerged and at around 21:40 GMT the match was postponed.
Just about two hours after the game was stopped, it was officially called off and postponed.
The incident is the second time this season Payet has been struck with a bottle amid a series of incidents in French League football.
Marseille’s game at Nice in August was abandoned when the former West Ham midfielder threw a bottle back into the crowd, causing fans to storm the pitch.
After the ordeal, Nice were deducted two points, one of which was suspended, and Payet was handed a one-game ban.
Marseille midfielder Valentin Roniger had a cut lip after he was hit with a bottle at the season opener at Montpellier.
Lyon CEO Jean-Michel Aulas said the club sends Payet “our apologies” and added “the perpetrator was immediately reported and caught. It’s an isolated act”.
