Sunday’s Ligue 1 derby between Saint-Etienne and Lyon was temporarily brought to a standstill on Sunday evening, after an assistant referee was struck by an object hurled from the crowd.
The incident unfolded just before half-time, with Lyon preparing to take a throw-in in the 44th minute while trailing 1-0. Assistant referee Mehdi Rahmouni suddenly clutched his head, having been hit by a projectile.
According to L’Equipe, the object appeared to be a coin thrown from the stands. Lyon’s medical staff attended to Rahmouni on the touchline, and shortly afterwards, referee Francois Letexier led both teams off the pitch for safety.
Despite the disruption, the match resumed after an extended delay of about 40 minutes, and Saint-Etienne emerged with a 2-1 victory.
“We’re going to restart the game because the assistant referee feels up to restarting,” league delegate Noel Mannino told AFP. “At the next incident, the match will be stopped for good.”
The match had already been designated high-risk, with Lyon supporters barred from attending due to past altercations involving the two clubs.
🔚 Full-time.
2-1 #ASSEOL pic.twitter.com/yd7u7ztfkN
— Olympique Lyonnais 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@OL_English) April 20, 2025
Saint-Etienne were already under warning, facing the possibility of stadium sanctions following previous offences that included “massive use of pyrotechnic devices and verbal abuse.” Their recent away fixture at Montpellier in March had been abandoned after fans launched flares onto the pitch, with one of the stands catching fire.
This latest incident adds to the growing concerns around fan conduct in French football, especially in high-stakes derbies such as this one.
