Othman Nasrou, Secretary of State to the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, asked the Professional Football League on Sunday, November 3 to explain “why the match between Saint-Étienne and Strasbourg was not interrupted” due to the homophobic chants which resounded from the Geoffroy-Guicahard stands during the Ligue 1 match on Saturday November 2.
In a message posted on the social network X, the Secretary of State recalled that with Bruno Retailleau and the Minister of Sports Gil Avérous, they had “told the football authorities (their) determination to stop homophobic chants”.
“The LFP must explain to us why the Saint-Étienne – Strasbourg match was not interrupted”he added in his post.
We demand to finally act”
The collective « Rouge Direct » called out the government on Sunday in a message broadcast on X accompanied by a video of the chants. These were addressed to the Lyonnais. The two teams are due to meet next Sunday in Lyon. “We ask the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau and the Minister of Sports Gil Avérous, as well as the Professional Football League to finally act. New complaints will be filed by Me Étienne Deshoulieres against the LFP and DAZN from Monday”wrote the collective.
On October 24, Bruno Retailleau brought together the leaders of French professional football at the Ministry of the Interior. Avérous and Nasrou participated in this meeting. At the end of this meeting, the Minister of Sports asked the football authorities to strictly apply the Fifa protocol which provides for a gradation ranging from the suspension of the match to the match being declared lost by the receiving team. , in the event of problems (homophobia, racism, violence, etc.).
