Lyon head coach breaks silence after needing 13 STITCHES in Marseille bus attack

Lyon manager Fabio Grosso has broken his silence to thank fans for their support after he was left bleeding by an attack on his side's team bus in Marseille on Sunday.

The Ligue 1 side has an old and fiercesome rivalry with the Cote d'Azur team but the weekend's events saw a planned 'Choc des Olympiques' clash called off after Marseille supporters hurled stones and bricks at the bus as it made its way to Stade Velodrome.

The missiles shattered the coach's glass windows and both Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were struck by shards of glass.

Once the windows were broken, players and members of Grosso's coaching team were forced to duck for cover to avoid further injury.

Grosso needed 13 stitches in the wake of the attack - which also saw coachloads of travelling fans come under fire - but stressed that things could have been much worse in a heartful Instagram post.

'What happened on Sunday evening could have been a tragedy, and it certainly was for sport and for all those who love it,' Grosso wrote alongside a picture of his head heavily bandaged applauding with his players.

'I hope with all my heart that it can be a lesson for our future. Thank you all for your support and your closeness.

'Go L'OL... always!'

Lyon club president John Textor, speaking on Amazon Prime Video, said Grosso 'couldn't hold a conversation [because] he has shards of glass in his face.'

Textor added: 'I am very angry - our players, our coach, prepared for tonight and the fans wanted to see the game played.

'Once the window was broken, other projectiles hit him, just above the eye. There were beer bottles, which hit him on the forehead.'

On a dark night in Marseille, Lyon's travelling fans also came under scrutiny for alleged racist chanting and