Friday’s Ligue 2 clash between Nancy and Le Mans was temporarily halted after repeated homophobic chanting from home supporters at Stade Marcel Picot
Referee Mehdi Mokhtari brought the game to a halt in the first half as part of new regulations aimed at decreasing discrimination in French football.
Supporters had been warned to stop their chanting over the stadium’s loudspeaker system and Mokhtari stopped play when the songs continued.
Bravo à l’arbitre Mehdi Mokhtari d’avoir interrompu courageusement le match face aux chants homophobes entonnés lors de Nancy – Le Mans comme le permet le règlement.
Le foot est un sport passionnant.
Il doit le rester pour tous. ⚽️⚽️#nerienlaisserpasser https://t.co/F4CIyoy765— 🇫🇷 MarleneSchiappa (@MarleneSchiappa) August 16, 2019
Play resumed after Nancy players pleaded with fans to stop and they went on to win 2-1 despite having two players sent off, scoring the winner from the penalty spot five minutes into added time, Sky Sports reports.
