December 17 – French authorities are considering what action to take after the high-profile clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon was briefly interrupted Sunday because of yet more homophobic chanting by PSG fans, a stain on the game that continues to blight top fixtures across the country.
Referee Benoît Bastien stopped play in the 53rd minute at the Parc des Princes with host PSG leading 2-1 after the chants were heard.
PSG captain Achraf Hakimi (pictured) approached fans behind one of the goals to ask them to stop. A message reminding fans that discriminatory chants are forbidden was then displayed on the stadium’s giant screens.
“The match could be stopped or even lost for the club,” the message read. Play eventually resumed after a few minutes.
The chants in Paris were just the latest in a long series of similar incidents as French football authorities struggle to tackle the issue.
France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau suggested earlier this year that matches should be halted when fans chant homophobic slurs in stadiums.
Earlier this month, a French campaign group renewed calls for authorities to take action against homophobic chanting by soccer fans, saying Marseille supporters belted out anti-gay slurs “with complete impunity” during a home game against Monaco.
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