This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
French Football Federation President Noel Le Graet's comments on homophobic chants have raised eyebrows, particularly given the new rules introduced by the FFF this season that permit referees to interrupt matches in such cases.
According to Le Graet, he would not stop games due to homophobic chants, stating, 'I would not stop the games – totally against this,' in an interview with French radio France Info on Tuesday.
When asked if referees would follow his request in this weekend's matches, Le Graet replied, 'I hope so.' He also emphasized that the FFF would ensure there are no more homophobic banners and chants, but stopping a game was not an option.
However, several Ligue 1 matches have already been briefly interrupted by referees this season due to homophobic chants in the stands, in accordance with the new rules enforced by the FFF.
It's worth noting that the president does not have the authority to instruct referees to go against the new rules, which were publicly supported by sports minister Roxana Maracineanu. Maracineanu had previously expressed her astonishment at Le Graet's comments, stating that 'too many matches' had been stopped due to incidents of homophobia.
