Lyon coach Fabio Grosso reveals he needed 13 stitches in his face after sustaining horrific injuries in an attack on the team bus in Marseille

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Lyon coach Fabio Grosso has revealed the extent of facial injuries he suffered when the team coach was attacked by hooligans in Marseille.

The 2006 World Cup winner told Sky Sports in Italy he received a total of 13 stitches in the area around his left eye.

A picture of Grosso shared by the broadcaster on social media shows the former Italy full-back with his left eye barely open due to the injury and clearly visible stitches above his eyebrow.

Grosso was left with broken glass on his face after a barrage of stones and bottles smashed the windows of the vehicle as it arrived for the Ligue 1 game in Marseille on Sunday evening.

The Italian and his assistant Raffaele Longo were both injured and required medical treatment upon arrival at the Stade Velodrome, with the game subsequently postponed.

Lyon coach Fabio Grosso required 13 stitches after sustaining serious injuries when the team bus was attacked by hooligans in Marseille

According to Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio, the outcome for Grosso could have been even worse.

A bottle of beer narrowly missed his left eye and left a cut near his eyebrow as it passed.

Grosso was bleeding profusely after shards of glass hit his face.

He was later seen heavily bandaged after receiving medical attention as the bus arrived at the stadium. His assistant, Longo, reportedly suffered an eye injury from the flying glass.

John Textor, president of the Lyon club, said in a speech on Amazon Prime Video that Grosso “couldn’t have a conversation.” [because] He has broken glass on his face.’

Textor added: “I’m very angry – our players, our coach, prepared for tonight and the fans wanted to see the game.”

“After the window was broken, more projectiles hit him directly above the eye. “There were beer bottles that hit him in the forehead.”

Lyon’s players looked visibly shaken as they got off the bus and decided not to play the game.

Grosso was pictured covered in blood and covered in broken glass after Sunday’s attack

The Italian coach required medical attention after shards of glass penetrated his face

Grosso was pictured wearing bandages after receiving treatment at the Stade Velodrome

Six buses carrying Lyon fans were also targeted. A video shows a group throwing objects, including fireworks, at one of their vehicles.

Police in Marseille confirmed that nine attackers were arrested and five officers were injured in the clashes on Sunday evening.

The rivalry between Marseille and Lyon dates back to 1945 and is known as the “Choc des Olympiques,” which translates to “Battle of the Olympics,” and has often been a heated affair off the pitch.

In a statement, Lyon noted that incidents like Sunday evening are anything but isolated.

“Lyon regrets that such a situation occurs every year in Marseille,” it said, adding that the club “calls on the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and recurrence of such incidents before an even worse tragedy occurs .”

Marseille president Pablo Longoria called the attacks “totally unacceptable” and the club issued a statement condemning “this violent behavior, which has no place in the world of football and in society.”

The incident was widely condemned by the French press, while the country’s sports minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera, described the scenes as “disgusting”.

“These images are disgusting. “Seeing a stoned bus like that, Fabio Grosso’s bloody face,” she said.

After the attack in Marseille, several windows in the Lyon team bus were broken

Lyon fans attempted to smash the net to prevent them from accessing the pitch in the ground

The Ligue 1 match has been postponed as French authorities have yet to decide when it will be replayed and whether fans can attend

“These are unacceptable actions that go against the values ​​of football and sport.”

“I hope that the investigation will be carried out quickly, the perpetrators will be found and severely punished.”

Grosso has picked up just one point in four games since replacing Laurent Blanc as Lyon coach last month. The club is bottom of the Ligue 1 table and is still hoping for its first league win of the season.

Marseille is now in ninth place.