The away end at the Vélodrome was closed, then reopened, over the course of an uneasy Tuesday in Marseille. Olympiacos supporters will now be permitted to attend Thursday’s Europa League meeting with Marseille, with up to 1,000 travelling fans allowed into the designated visitors’ section for the 21:00 kick-off.
The reversal followed a day of uncertainty after an initial prefectural order had barred supporters of Olympiacos Piraeus and Red Star Belgrade from the stadium, central Marseille and the roads around the ground between Wednesday 14 October and Friday 16 October 2026. By late afternoon, authorities had withdrawn that order and confirmed that the Greek club’s allocation would be honoured.
Olympiacos fans are expected to gather in the Joliette district on Thursday afternoon before making the usual escorted journey to the Vélodrome. The match is Marseille’s second fixture of the Europa League campaign.
A match rated at the highest risk level
The fixture has been assessed at level five out of five by the national anti-hooliganism division. The initial decision to prohibit the away following was driven first by the heavy policing demands elsewhere in the city, with officers committed to school blockades, student demonstrations and a broader period of social tension.
There was also concern that around 150 Red Star Belgrade supporters could travel to Marseille alongside the Olympiacos contingent. Red Star fans had been prevented from attending their own away match against Lugano in Switzerland, scheduled for Thursday at 18:45.
A further security issue surrounded the long-running hostility between Olympiacos and AEK Athens. AEK supporters have maintained close links with Marseille’s South Stand ultras for three decades. They were present in Marseille’s away section for Sunday’s 2-0 win at Troyes, and had also been seen in central Marseille earlier this week.
Olympiacos objected to the late nature of the original restriction. Marseille, too, faced an immediate practical problem: several hundred visiting supporters had already arrived in France or were travelling when the ban was announced, leaving some looking for tickets in home areas of the stadium.
After receiving additional policing support, the prefecture changed course. Officials suggested the earlier order had been wrongly interpreted, although it was subsequently cancelled altogether. A final security meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning before Olympiacos supporters are escorted towards the Vélodrome.
