Saint-Etienne face LFP investigation after Lyon scenes

The French Professional Football League (LFP) will launch an investigation into Saint-Etienne on Thursday after crowd trouble marred their Ligue 1 derby with Lyon.

Home fans invaded the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard pitch on Sunday after Nabil Fekir celebrated Lyon’s final goal in a 5-0 thrashing.

Fekir’s second of the match came with six minutes remaining, the skipper replicating Lionel Messi’s celebration against Real Madrid by removing his shirt and holding it up in front of opposition supporters.

The pitch invasion meant there was a delay of over half an hour before the match resumed and was completed.

The French Football Federation on Monday charged Les Verts with “inciting anti-sporting behaviour” in relation to inflammatory banners displayed in the stands prior to kick-off.

Now they face further repercussions after Ligue 1 officials denounced the scenes.

“The Professional Football League condemns all incidents that occurred during the AS Saint-Etienne – Olympique Lyonnais match on November 5, 2017,” the LFP said in a statement.

“From Thursday, the disciplinary committee of the LFP will open an investigation on this and will study all the incidents; the violent pre-match behaviour already condemned by the mayor of Loire, the banners of incitement to hate, the large number of flares and the events that led to the invasion of the pitch that caused the interruption of the meeting for 40 minutes.

“These facts tarnish the image of the derby and jeopardise the movement of opposing supporters in the next meetings between these two clubs.”