Ligue 1: two days after those heard in Paris, homophobic anti-Lensois chants in Lille

Lille, Paris, same fight. If politicians are visibly less enthusiastic about taking offense at homophobic chants in Paris than in Lille, in this case Villeneuve d'Ascq to be precise, the Lille supporters were not more inspired on Tuesday evening than the Parisians last Sunday. During the meeting between Losc and Reims (1-2), some fans of the Dogues actually had a not very friendly thought for their counterparts from Lens, the regional rival, a little less than two weeks before the derby in Bollaert, next October 8. “And the Lensois, and the Lensois are fags,” we could hear at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. This is of course nothing new, it's the kind of slogan you hear before every Northern derby. This is no longer defensible because it is not new. But two days after PSG-OM and the homophobic chants at the Parc des Princes, it's even more of a stain. “Freewheeling homophobia in French football,” says Rouge Direct, a collective that describes itself as a “whistleblower against homophobia in football.” And added: “It can’t continue like this.”

The day after the Classic in Paris, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera considered that “such hateful and homophobic chants (…) must be fought without respite by the supporters, those involved in the competition, the authorities and the public authorities. It is urgent to eradicate them from our stadiums,” she demanded, adding that she “ensured as of yesterday evening (Sunday) that a firm response is provided.” Note that the LFP Disciplinary Commission will certainly take up this issue this Wednesday and put the case under investigation, that of homophobic chants in the stands of the Park but also insulting chants towards OM taken up by certain Parisian players. “I invite PSG to file a complaint to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, so that they are removed from the stadiums,” continued Madame Oudea-Castera, who will therefore probably demand the same thing from Losc within hours future. Or not... In the meantime, there is still work to change mentalities...