Patrice Evra has been suspended by Marseille according to a statement from the club on Friday night.
24 hours earlier, the left back was sent off before Marseille’s Europa League tie Portuguese side Vitoria after kicking out at a supporter who was heckling Evra and his teammates as they warmed up.
#VSCOM un truc de fou s'est passé entre des supporters semble-t-il Marseillais et des joueurs dont Evra ! Ça a tapé ! @OM_Officiel #TeamOM pic.twitter.com/C9Cozns6X4
— Karim Attab (@karimattab1) November 2, 2017
In scenes which reminded plenty of Eric Cantona’s infamous kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan in 1995, Evra lost the rag and delivered a roundhouse kick to an abusive fan.
The left back was scheduled to take a place on the bench for the game at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques but was dismissed by the referee before a ball was kicked.
According to a report in French outlet L’Equipe, the fan allegedly told Evra to “keep doing your videos, but stop playing football.”
Despite suggestions that Evra had been released by the Ligue 1 club, it’s since emerged that the player has actually been suspended indefinitely without pay although it remains entirely possible that the club decides to part ways with him following a more thorough investigation.
📝 Communiqué officiel de l’Olympique de Marseille
👉 https://t.co/79HEj1rFSQ pic.twitter.com/Ufli8agO3d
— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) November 3, 2017
The statement read:
“Jacques-Henri Eyraud, President of Olympique de Marseille, met Patrice Evra today and informed him of his suspension with immediate effect and his summons to an interview prior to a possible disciplinary sanction.
“In addition, the first results of the internal investigation conducted by the club reveal an unacceptable behaviour on the part of a handful of supporters who uttered particularly serious hateful attacks against the player, even though the latter and his teammates warmed up for an important fixture.
“As a professional and experienced player, Patrice Evra should not have responded in such an inappropriate way.
“The club is continuing its investigation and will use all the legal means at its disposal against individuals who, under the guise of their passion for OM, endanger their reputation by entering the field and insulting a player instead of supporting him.”
