UEFA hands Marseille defender Patrice Evra one-match ban for kicking a fan

UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Patrice Evra after the Marseille defender aimed a kick at the head of one of the French club's supporters.

Marseille's Patrice Evra launches a kick at a fan after a confrontation before a tie in Portugal. Pic/ Twitter

The former Manchester United player, named as a substitute for Marseille's fixture away to Vitoria, lashed out at the fan in a heated confrontation before Thursday night's match in Portugal. Evra was sent off and on yesterday UEFA announced the Frenchman would miss "at least one match", with the organisation's disciplinary body set to discuss his case on November 10.

More sanctions await
Evra is almost certain to face a more severe sanction from UEFA following scenes reminiscent of Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park in 1995.

Video footage showed Evra aiming the kick at the Marseille fan, who had seemingly scaled barriers to reach the advertising hoardings at the Estadio D Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes, confronted each other at the side of the pitch.

Marseille boss Rudi Garcia revealed Evra had reacted to taunts from the fans, but still criticised his actions.

"Pat has experience and he must not react, it's obvious," Garcia said. "Patrice is a more than experienced player and we cannot respond to insults so low and so incredible because they come from one of our supporters."

Not a Marseille fan
On the fan, Garcia said: "He is not a supporter of Marseille, because you cannot insult your own players, you have to be behind everyone."