Football
Associated Press 6y

Marseille fans slam Patrice Evra for kicking supporter: 'This Game Is Over'

Marseille fans have told Patrice Evra he is no longer welcome at the club after the defender kicked a supporter in the head.

Evra was suspended by Marseille on Friday, a day after he confronted a fan and aimed a kick at his head ahead of a Europa League game at Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes. Evra, who appeared to make light contact with his foot, had shortly before aimed a punch at the same supporter.

Fans held aloft two banners criticising Evra before Sunday's Ligue 1 match against Caen at Marseille's Stade Velodrome.

"This Game Is Over," read one banner in English, mocking Evra's regular posts on social media where he films himself talking about football and says "I love this game" as he breaks into laughter.

Two other banners, written in French, declared "You thought you were bigger than the club and the fans.We don't want you in our colours. Evra get out!,"and "Love for the jersey. Respect for supporters. Professionalism. Is that too much to ask?"

Other fans chanted against Evra during the game against Caen, which Marseille won 5-0.

Later in the day, however, Evra posted on Instagram a picture of himself doing press-ups alongside another of the panda he has frequently featured in posts to send a defiant message.

"Great result tonight, well done guys, I'm really proud of you," the former Manchester United and Juventus defender wrote in Engish. "Thanks to all real Olympique Marseille [sic] fans...I'm receviing soo [sic] much support from them."

Thursday's incident caused many other Marseille fans to come down from the stands to try and confront Evra, who was then led away by a teammate. As the players were warming up before the match, Evra had moved away from the field and toward the away section of Marseille fans where an argument began and then escalated.

The 36-year-old Evra is a controversial and often unpopular figure in French football. He was the captain when France went on strike at training during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in protest after teammate Nicolas Anelka was sent home. He was given a five-match ban by the French Football Federation.

The reaction this time round was intense, with former national team players and television pundits roundly condemning him.

UEFA said on Friday that Evra will be banned for at least one game. Its disciplinary body will meet next Friday to rule on the incident. He also faces further sanctions from Marseille, who have opened an internal investigation.

Although Marseille said they accepted Evra received some "hateful insults" from a group of fans, the club said he could in no way "respond in such an inappropriate manner."

Evra's temperament has been an issue in the past. He has clashed verbally with former players -- especially Lilian Thuram and Christophe Dugarry -- and with television pundits, often mocking some of them with invented names as a pun on their names.

The left-back's 81st and last appearance for France was a year ago in a World Cup qualifier against Sweden.

Earlier this season, Evra was heavily criticised in some sections of the media, including by Dugarry, for filming himself offering a bag of food to a homeless person on Marseille's streets and posting a message asking others what they were doing to help.

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