Portuguese international Anthony Lopes hospitalized after explosion in Metz-Lyon match

The 26-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper of Olympique Lyon, Anthony Lopes, was hospitalized in Metz due to an explosion that occurred during the Metz-Lyon match of the fifteenth round of the French League, which was suspended because of the incident.

Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was in charge of providing information about Lopes' condition, who will probably be unavailable for the decisive Champions League match against Sevilla on Wednesday.

"In the best case scenario, Anthony will experience balance issues, and in the worst case, his eardrum could be affected. That's why we took him to the hospital in Metz. Hopefully, it's nothing serious. This has never happened to us before," Aulas said on television.

"To see a player like Anthony, a European champion (with Portugal), seriously injured during a match is unprecedented. The League and the Federation must react decisively," he added.

The clash between Metz and Olympique Lyon was interrupted in the 36th minute, after one of the fireworks thrown from the south end of the stadium, where the Metz ultras usually stand, hit Lopes, who had just conceded a goal by Gauthier Hein and was being attended to by his team's medical staff.

Anthony Lopes rolled on the field after the impact. Referee Lionel Jaffredo decided to suspend the match.

Source: EFE