Olympique de Marseille’s official store on La Canebière avenue in Marseille was looted during weekend unrest, with the French Ligue 1 club confirming on Monday that the incident had caused significant property damage.
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The club said the damage had forced the store to close temporarily, while expressing solidarity with sportswear brand Puma, its partner that operates the outlet.
The incident occurred amid widespread unrest in France, where protests over rising prices and declining public services were accompanied by looting and damage to businesses, according to Reuters.
Marseille authorities subsequently imposed a ban on public gatherings and demonstrations across the city on Monday following the violence.
In a statement, Olympique de Marseille condemned the attack and said it would inform supporters when conditions allowed the La Canebière store to reopen.
“Olympique de Marseille condemns in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence and looting targeting its official store on the Canebière and expresses its solidarity with its partner Puma, which operates the store,” the club said.
The statement added that fans could continue visiting the club’s other official stores in Marseille while the affected outlet remained closed.
The club also pledged to provide updates on the reopening as soon as conditions permitted.
Olympique de Marseille were ninth in the Ligue 1 standings after seven matches, according to the report.
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The team was scheduled to return to action on Thursday with an away Europa League fixture against Austrian side Sturm Graz.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
