With Thursday’s Europa League tie at the Vélodrome only 48 hours away, Marseille’s preparations for Olympiacos have been overshadowed by a late and bitter dispute over travelling supporters.
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Olympiacos fans have ultimately been permitted to travel to Marseille for the Matchday 2 fixture, despite an earlier proposal to prevent their movement.
Local authorities concluded that enough police officers had been mobilised and would be available to manage the Greek contingent. The decision came amid recent high-school demonstrations in the city, which had heightened security concerns.
Olympiacos, however, has reacted angrily to the reversal. The Greek club condemned what it described as an unprecedented, unacceptable and dangerous handling of the issue by the French authorities.
The club indicated that none of its supporters would take up places in the away section. It said the changing decisions had created an intolerable level of uncertainty for fans who had been making travel arrangements.
Olympiacos said thousands of supporters had already cancelled flights, hotel bookings and other travel plans after complying with the initial restriction, incurring significant financial losses. It added that hundreds of fans who had already arrived in Marseille had since returned to Greece, while others called off their trips before leaving.
In its statement, Olympiacos said the security assurances now offered were insufficient. The club said it would not put supporters at risk after what it called successive and contradictory decisions.
It urged any Olympiacos fans still in Marseille to leave the city safely and told those yet to travel not to begin their journey. “The protection of the lives and physical integrity of our supporters is non-negotiable,” the club said.
Olympiacos will not accept an allocation of tickets for this particular match and has asked UEFA not to put any unused away-end seats back on sale. The club also said it would support collective legal action by supporters seeking compensation for losses caused by the earlier decisions.
The next appointment in France
Marseille are due to host Olympiacos at the Vélodrome on Thursday in the second round of Europa League fixtures, with the visitor allocation now set to remain unused after the Greek club’s call for supporters to stay away.
