Bastia v Le Mans abandoned after agricultural bomb, flares and projectiles | OneFootball

Le Mans were on the cusp of sealing promotion to Ligue 1 when referee Ruddy Buquet abandoned their match at Bastia, with player safety no longer guaranteed.

According to L'Équipe, the game was halted for good due to security concerns. Near 21:45, Le Mans had just scored a second goal in the first of three added minutes when a loud detonation sounded in the penalty area of keeper Ewan Hatfout beside the Bastia kop.

An agricultural bomb exploded a few metres from Hatfout, then a flare landed in the same spot. The keeper complained of pain in his right ear to Buquet. Whether he would have been able to continue remains unknown.

Further flares followed from the Bastia end, along with a barrage of firecrackers. With two minutes still to play, Le Mans players were already embracing amid white smoke. After about five minutes Buquet ordered both teams to the dressing rooms, which they reached only after further delays.

The stands then emptied, goals and advertising boards were swiftly removed, and both squads waited inside. Several hundred supporters from the Bastia kop massed by the stadium gate near the dressing rooms and press room, and projectile throwing continued on the forecourt, aimed at the club crest. Calm returned after nearly an hour, by which time Buquet confirmed the match had been abandoned.

Source: L'Équipe