Marseille suspend Patrice Evra after he assaulted fan

Marseille have suspended Patrice Evra indefinitely with immediate effect on Friday (3 November) pending investigation over an incident where he tried to assault a fan ahead of a Europa League game.

Video footage showed Evra lashing out at one of his own club's fans. He was then ushered away by a teammate and referee Tamas Bognar red-carded him. The French club refused to give a complete assessment of the incident and revealed in a statement that they will interview Evra before deciding upon disciplinary action.

The former Manchester United defender is likely to face a heavy spell on the sidelines after Uefa announced the 36-year-old would miss at least one match with a heavier punishment set to follow. Evra joined the French club from Juventus in January and has made only two appearances this season.

Former France captain Evra, has won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during an eight-year spell with United and is among the greats at Old Trafford. In a statement, Marseille confirmed that they have taken the incident seriously and will take further action after investigating the scenario properly.

"Jacques-Henri Eyraud, President of Olympique de Marseille, met Patrice Evra today and informed him of his layoff with immediate effect and his summons to an interview prior to a possible disciplinary sanction," the statement said.

"In addition, the first results of the internal investigation conducted by the club reveal an unacceptable behavior on the part of a handful of provocateurs who uttered particularly serious hateful attacks against the player, even though the latter and his teammates warmed up for an important meeting.

"As a professional and experienced player, Patrice Evra could not respond in such an inappropriate way. The club is continuing its investigation and will use all the legal means at its disposal against individuals who, under the guise of their passion for OM, endanger their reputation by entering the field and insulting a player, instead of supporting him."