Marseille coach urges calm for Atletico clash
Reuters - Friday 07 November 2008, 10:10
PARIS - Olympique Marseille coach Eric
Gerets urged his club's fans to stay calm when the Provence side
take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League next month amid
controversy over a Marseille fan detained in Spain.
Santos Mirasierra has been in custody in Madrid since Oct. 1
following clashes between the Spanish police and Marseille fans
before the Group D game, which Atletico won 2-1.
The Spanish state prosecutor recommended an eight-year jail
term on Thursday on charges of public order offences and
assaulting a police officer.
Marseille and Atletico will meet at the Stade Velodome on
Dec. 9 in their last group match and Gerets asked the fans to
behave.
"We must answer on the pitch with a victory," Gerets told
Marseille's website.
"It's the best way to hurt them. We should even applaud the
Madrid fans, it would be the best way to punish them: applaud
them and send them back home with a good defeat."
European soccer's governing body UEFA said failures in
Atletico's organisation had prompted confrontations between the
fans and police and initially ordered the Spanish club to play
their next two European fixtures outside Madrid. The ban was
later reduced to one match played without spectators.
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