Cyrille de la Morinerie / Photo credits: FRANCK FIFE / AFP 07:09, September 26, 2023

Abusive and homophobic chants were sung against Marseille players during the Ligue 1 PSG-OM match. The government has called for sanctions. These incidents occur regularly in French stadiums.

Football is once again tainted by homophobic remarks. Sunday night at the Parc des Princes, during the PSG-OM match, supporters sang homophobic chants against the Marseillais. Paris players were also filmed shouting hateful chants.

More firmness?

These incidents occur regularly in French stadiums. Despite awareness campaigns, insulting and homophobic chants are regularly sung in sports venues. During last season, homophobic remarks were sung in Marseille, during other matches against PSG at the Velodrome. In Montpellier, a homophobic banner was waved in the stands by supporters.

According to Yohan Lemaire, president of the association "Foot ensemble" which fights against homophobia in football, these incidents are not sufficiently sanctioned by the Professional Football League: "People who initiate these chants must be excluded from the stadium. Closing a stand doesn't help, they will start again the next game. This issue needs to be treated more seriously."

>> READ ALSO - PSG-OM: the leader of the fight against discrimination "shocked" by homophobic chants at the Parc des Princes

On the occasion of the annual campaign "Homos or straight, we all wear the same jersey", all players of the first and second divisions were invited on the weekend of May 13/14 to wear a jersey flocked with the colors of the rainbow, which also adorned the armbands of the captains. Some players refused to play. In England, homophobic acts are punished. Offending supporters are banned from the stadium. English club Arsenal even has its own gay fan club called the "Gay Gooners".