Two French Police Officers Injured in Clash with Paris Football Club Supporters - 2004-01-26

On Saturday, two police officers were injured during clashes with supporters of Paris Saint-Germain before the team's match against Olympique Marseille at Marseille's home ground. Both officers were taken to a hospital in Avignon for treatment; one suffered an eye injury and the other was injured in the hand. During this French Cup match, about 700 police officers patrolled around the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. A header by Juan Pablo Sorin, an Argentine player from Paris, secured a 2-1 victory for the French capital club in extra time, allowing Paris Saint-Germain to advance to the third round of the French Cup. Sorin scored his goal in the 112th minute, marking Paris's fifth consecutive victory against Olympique Marseille. Vahid Halilhodžić, the head coach of Paris, expressed his satisfaction with the team, stating, 'It was a very difficult game because we were under intense pressure from the start, but we deserved the win.' In other matches in the French Cup, two Ligue 1 teams were eliminated by lower division teams. RC Lens, missing six regular players who are currently playing in the Africa Cup of Nations, lost 2-1 to third division Dijon, while amateur team Bayonne, which had previously eliminated Ligue 1's Guingamp on penalties in the first round, knocked out Bordeaux's Girondins 1-0 in extra time. Additionally, defending champion AJ Auxerre defeated Montpellier 2-0, and Olympique Lyon, the champions of French football, achieved a 5-0 victory at home against third division club Bourges.