The Condemnation by Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP)
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) on Sunday, October 20, condemned the homophobic chants chanted by supporters of the Paris club at the Parc des Princes on Saturday during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and RC Strasbourg. The LFP announced the referral to its disciplinary committee. The LFP statement expressed strong disapproval of the discriminatory chants by PSG supporters, emphasizing the ongoing efforts within the professional football community to eradicate homophobic behaviors and chants.
Incident at Parc des Princes
At the Parc des Princes on Saturday, PSG supporters, mainly ultras from the Auteuil stand, engaged in homophobic chants directed at Olympique de Marseille for about ten minutes. This behavior occurred ahead of the upcoming clasico against Marseille at the Stade-Vélodrome on October 27. Despite attempts by the stadium announcer to intervene and stop the chants, they continued and were echoed by a significant portion of the crowd.
Disciplinary Measures and Statistics
In response to similar incidents last season, the LFP had penalized PSG by closing the Auteuil stand for one match and adding a suspended sentence. The prevalence of homophobia in French football is evidenced by the 202 sanctions imposed during the 2022 season by the LFP disciplinary committee for discriminatory actions, predominantly of a homophobic nature, in 175 matches. These sanctions included 106 warnings, 61 suspended fines, 34 immediate fines, and one stand closure due to banners displayed during Montpellier-Nantes. Each year, players in Ligue 1 wear rainbow-colored jerseys for a match day to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. However, in 2022, some players refused to wear the special jersey, leading to criticism from anti-homophobia organizations.
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Source: Le Monde with AFP.
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