Paris: UEFA have charged Olympique Marseille defender Patrice Evra with violent conduct after a scuffle between the player and a club supporter before a Europa League game at Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, European soccer’s governing body said Friday.
Evra was sent off after he appeared to aim a kick at a fan at the side of the pitch during the warm-up at the Afonso Henriques stadium. The 36-year-old will be banned for at least one match, with the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body to rule on the incident, November 10.
Marseille have also been charged by UEFA with a field invasion by supporters, setting off of fireworks and ‘acts of damages’ during their 0-1 defeat.
The incident occurred after Evra, a former Manchester United player lost his cool after being constantly jeered by a section of Marseille fans.
Evra, 36, was engaged in a heated exchange with a group of fans from an area reserved for around 500 Marseille supporters before aiming a head-high left-footed kick at one of them.
“Pat has experience, and he must not react, it’s obvious,” said Marseille coach Rudi Garcia. “He is a more than just an experienced player. You can’t respond to insults as bad as they are and as incredible as they might be because they come from one of our supporters. He must learn to keep his cool.”
The incident immediately brought back memories of another act of kung-fu kick madness by a French footballer.
In January 1995, Eric Cantona, playing for Manchester United, launched a flying kick at a Crystal Palace supporter at Selhurst Park who had jeered him after he had been sent off.
Agencies