Skip to main content

Marseille win at Nice as homophobic chants cause stoppage

Marseille won their first match under new coach Andre Villas-Boas on Wednesday thanks to a 2-1 derby win at Nice in a match that was suspended in the first half following homophobic abuse from the home side’s hardcore supporters.

Dimitri Payet moved his side up to 13th on four points with a spot-kick with 17 minutes remaining after Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien had levelled Dario Benedetto’s first Marseille goal with his own penalty.

The France international’s strike also ended Nice’s brief perfect start in the new season’s third round of matches, but the clash was dominated by the over 10-minute suspension ordered by match officials as part of a crackdown on offensive chanting from French football authorities.

Players from both teams were escorted from the pitch in the 28th minute of the contest following repeated appeals to Nice fans to stop chants of “Marseille are a bunch of queers” and “Go fuck yourself, Ligue 1”.

Fans also unfurled homophobic banners including one which called Marseille an “LGBT club”.

The second chant, sparked by the French league’s attempt to stamp out homophobic chants from the stands, continued as the players returned down the tunnel, where they waited for the still-goalless match to recommence.

Villas-Boas said referee Clement Turpin “did the right thing in stopping the match” adding that the abuse was “above all a societal problem”, while Nice coach Patrick Vieira said that he was “absolutely right to interrupt” proceedings.

French equalities minister Marlene Schiappa also congratulated on Twitter Turpin’s “respect for football”, and blasted “a homophobic banner (which) dirtied the stands”.

However, goalscorer Cyprien bemoaned Turpin’s decision, saying that “we can’t stop every match each time some idiot does something, otherwise we will never play”.

“I am against all discrimination, be it against gays or racist abuse,” he continued to Canal+.

“But we can’t stop matches as soon as there are insults that have nothing to do with the gay community.”

- Crackdown on abuse -

Instructions were sent to referees before the start of the season to stop matches if homophobic songs could be heard, and the Ligue 2 game on August 16 between Nancy and Le Mans was halted for a few minutes – a first in France.

That match only resumed after Nancy players pleaded with their fans to stop, but the club was still hit late on Wednesday with a one-game closure for one stand by the French league.

The league has mooted the idea of introducing a list of banned words in football stadiums in an attempt to combat homophobia and bad language.

On Sunday, a referee threatened to stop Monaco’s 2-2 home draw with Nimes after the away fans insulted the league organisers with offensive language.

The controversy comes just two days after Ineos announced their purchase of Nice, who were aiming to maintain their perfect start against fellow south coast side Marseille, yet to win under new coach Villas-Boas.

Bob Ratcliffe, the brother of billionaire Jim Ratcliffe who owns petrochemical giant Ineos, looked on embarrassed from the stands as his team were forced off the field due to their fans’ behaviour.

Earlier, Nigerian starlet Victor Osimhen shot a brace that took him to the top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts as Lille cruised to a simple 3-0 win over Saint-Etienne.

The 20-year-old fired in the hosts’ opener shortly before the break and sealed the points with a fine turn-and-strike 15 minutes from the end, taking his tally to four goals from the season’s opening three matches and moving Lille into fourth.

Jonathan Bamba had added the second from the spot six minutes earlier after being upended by Mathieu Debuchy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vulvar Care Tips

Vulva Care Maintaining a healthy vulva and vagina will help prevent infections and discomfort. Unusual changes in vaginal discharge is a sign that there might be an issue. Why is vulvar and vagina care important? Many women experience uncomfortable, vaginal infections (vaginitis) at one time or another. The area around the entrance to the vagina (vulva) can also become irritated. Steps can be taken to relieve and prevent vulvar discomfort and vaginal infections. Not all vaginal infections are alike and home treatments can worsen some types. If you have any concerns about your vulvar or vaginal health, or notice unusual changes in vaginal discharge, contact your healthcare provider if the problem persists. What is the vulva? The vulva is the area of female sex organs that lies outside of the vagina. These organs include folds of sensitive tissue called the labia (labia means "lips"). The labia has two parts. The outermost folds are called the labia majora. A secon...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigeria’s first female banker, Sarah Morocco-Clarke is dead

Sarah Adenike Morocco-Clarke, Nigeria’s first female banker is dead. Morocco-Clarke died at the age of 80 on Sunday, 16 September 2018, after a short illness. Sarah Morocco-Clarke, an alumnus of Queen’s College Lagos, started her career with First Bank (then Bank of British West Africa, and subsequently Standard Bank) as a pioneer female employee, and rose through the ranks at First Bank Nigeria and was made the Services Manager and Secretary to the South Administration, wherein she had a mandate that covered the services of all the First Bank branches in Southern Nigeria. While she worked in the banking industry, she was manager of numerous First Bank branches in Lagos and was subsequently made a Regional Manager in charge of Bendel, Ogun and Oyo states. She was also an Area Manager in the Western part of Nigeria. Popularly known as the ‘Iron Lady, Morocco-Clarke leaves behind six successful children, thirteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Post a Comment
Read more

BBNaija winner, Miracle, gets Pilot license

The winner of the BBNaija ‘Double Wahala’ reality show, Miracle Ikechukwu, has obtained his Private Pilot License and Flight Dispatcher License. The 23-year-old took to his Instagram page to share the news by posting a picture of his licenses alongside birthday wishes for his mother. He wrote, “Today is also my pillar’s birthday (my sweet mum). Thank you, mother, for always being there for me through the journey. “To all my lovely fans, I thank you all for your patience and support. We made it. PPL in the bag. Happy new month,” Miracle said. During the course of the BBNaija show, Miracle, who was in aviation school prior to the show, continually expressed his desire to obtain all piloting licenses as soon as possible. He expressed his resolve during the eviction nights where he wore his piloting uniform each time he was up for possible eviction. Miracle’s total winning prize included N25m cash, a Sub-Urban Vehicle worth N12m and a trip for two valued N4.7m, Television an...
Post a Comment
Read more