French government minister outlines tougher measures following PSG fans’ homophobic chants

Whilst Paris Saint-Germain are set to face sanctions after homophobic chants were heard emanating from the home section at the Parc des Princes last weekend, the French government has outlined a plan to impose tougher sanctions for such behaviour.

The homophobic chants were heard during last Saturday’s 4-2 win over RC Strasbourg Alsace and targeted rivals Olympique de Marseille and former PSG player Adrien Rabiot, who recently signed for Les Phocéens on a free transfer. Those chants were repeated throughout the game, and at the end of the encounter on Saturday evening, despite calls from the club’s speaker to stop.

The LFP look set to sanction PSG, either through a fine or the closure of a stand, and a decision is expected next week, whilst the Paris Public Prosecutor also announced that an investigation into the incident had been opened.

Speaking on BFMTV, the French government’s Sports Minister, Gil Avérous, said that a request has been made to the LFP to strictly follow guidelines, which would mean that, should homophobic chants be repeated within stadiums in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, the game would be stopped and the host team would lose the fixture. These rules are not new, but they have, until now, not been imposed strictly.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle