Saint-Etienne fan arrested after projectile thrown at assistant referee

Saint-Itienne, France: A Saint-Etienne supporter is in custody after being arrested following his team’s match against Lyon on Sunday, which was interrupted after a projectile was thrown at an assistant referee, according to police and judicial sources.

The Ligue 1 game, which Saint-Etienne won 2-1, was paused for 45 minutes after a coin was thrown at the head of the official.

The 28-year-old man was arrested by police inside the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard at the end of the match, sources said Monday.

His questioning in police custody is part of the investigation opened for “violence within a sports venue” and aims to determine whether he was the perpetrator of the coin throw, Yves Cellier, a director of the Loire police, told AFP.

Aurelien Buffart, deputy prosecutor of Saint-Etienne, said the supporter had been “formally identified” by video surveillance cameras.

Buffart also said police had discovered several coins on the ground near where the assistant was struck.