Proceedings were halted for 20 minutes due to clashes between supporters and the police during a bad-tempered derby, the first since 1993
A Ligue 1 match between Montpellier and Nimes was stopped due to crowd trouble on Sunday.
Both clubs are based in the south of France and are bitter rivals. This was the first league tie between the pair since 1993, with Montpellier going on to win the match 3-0.
A barrier collapsed during the first half – the day after a similar accident in Eibar’s home defeat against Sevilla in La Liga – but there were no serious injuries.
And after the interval, supporters from both clubs faced off in the stands, with some fans also getting on to the pitch at the Stade de la Mosson.
Gaetan Laborde scored the third of Montpellier’s goals with around ten minutes remaining, which lead to confrontation between the two sets of supporters.
Around 80 riot police intervened with tear gas used to disperse fans as referee Ruddy Buquet opted to stop the game, causing a delay that lasted around 20 minutes.
A number of Montpellier’s players pleaded with their fans to calm down, with the stadium announcer also asking the home supporters to not risk punishment from Ligue 1’s disciplinary committee, something that could even lead to a points deduction.
The action resumed once tensions had been calmed and goals from Ambroise Oyongo, Andy Delort and Laborde earned a 3-0 win for Montpellier, who move up to second in the Ligue 1 table.
Sunday marked the return of the Montpellier-Nimes derby in France, and things got a little… heated. pic.twitter.com/1c4Ntx2lhX
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— Goal (@goal) 30 de septiembre de 2018
The first half incident, which saw a barrier collapse in the home end, came after Montpellier had scored their second goal. Several fans ended up on the pitch with two reported to have suffered injuries.
Towards the end of the game, Nimes fans could be seen holding a banner that they’re reported to have stolen from Montpellier ‘ultras’ earlier this year.
This wasn’t the only Ligue 1 game which involved crowd trouble this weekend, with several Guingamp fans sustaining injuries following their match against Angers on Saturday.
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