The French soccer league, Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), has condemned anti-LGBTQ+ chanting by fans during a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) match against RC Strasbourg over the weekend.
At PSG’s home stadium, Parc des Princes, fans were heard chanting homophobic slurs aimed at rival team Olympique de Marseille. According to Le Figaro, the crowd chanted, “Les Marseillais c’est des pédés,” meaning “people from Marseille are queers,” for several minutes. Despite warnings from stadium announcers, the chants continued, met with jeers from the crowd.
The derogatory remarks were also directed at Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot, a former PSG player, though he is not openly gay.
In response, LFP issued a statement denouncing the behavior as unacceptable, emphasizing soccer’s efforts to eliminate homophobia from stadiums. Both the LFP’s disciplinary committee and the French government are investigating the incident. French Sports Minister Gil Avérous is expected to meet with LFP’s president to discuss preventative measures.
Homophobic chants at soccer matches remain a persistent issue in France. Despite strict laws, including the possibility of a year in prison and fines up to €45,000 for public homophobic remarks, enforcement has been challenging. A 2019 initiative to report incidents of discrimination through stadium forms has proven ineffective, as similar chants occurred during PSG’s matches last year, leading to partial stadium closures.
The LFP says it continues to work towards eradicating such behaviour from French soccer.