Nice vs Marseille: Pablo Longoria, Dimitri Payet react after a fan thrown bottle at him

Nice vs Marseille Ligue 1 game was suspended after Marseille’s Dimitri Payet was pictured being hit by a bottle that was thrown at him by a fan.

Payet, 34, initially dropped to the floor before reacting to the incident. His response prompted fans to jump the advertising boards and invade the pitch at the Allianz Riviera.

Despite broadcaster Amazon saying the match would be resumed, it was eventually abandoned 90 minutes after play was stopped. Multiple Marseille players, including Matteo Guendouzi and Luan Peres, have been pictured with strangle marks on their necks.

Stewards struggled to hold back a number of fans, who made their way onto the pitch. Some Marseille players were also seen to intervene to help protect Payet.

Marseille’s head coach Jorge Sampaoli was seen being restrained and held back by his staff and players as the incident unfolded.

Nice had taken the lead in the 49th minute through Kasper Dolberg. The match was suspended in the 76th minute.

Later on Sunday night, Marseille president Pablo Longoria said in a statement: “The league decided that the match should continue but we decided not to because the safety of our players was not guaranteed.

“This is the second time it’s happened. We have already experienced this in Montpellier where we decided to continue after the decision to carry on was made.

“What happened today is unacceptable. We must make it a precedent for French football and that’s why we decided to return to Marseille.”