French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain will be forced to partially close a stadium at their home ground next month, losing out on the ticket sales that the seats would bring.
France’s governing body for football, the LFP, have ordered the closure as punishment for fans of the team delivering homophobic chants during their match against Strasbourg earlier this month.
When they face Toulouse at a home game on 22nd November, a huge chunk of the seats in the Auteuil stand at their ground Parc des Princes will be empty.
The incident where fans delivered the chants has been widely condemned and French sports minister Gil Averous has threated to suspend both Ligue 1 and 2 games if there are further incidents of homophobic chants.
The chants were directed at player Adrien Rabiot who previously played for the team, but now represents rivals Marseille.
The club commented on the incident saying they remained committed to reducing discriminatory behaviour.
“Paris Saint-Germain reaffirms its commitment against all forms of discrimination including homophobia. The club takes all necessary measures, before and during matches, to ensure that the Parc des Princes remains an inclusive place for all.
“We work actively to ban discriminatory behaviour and promote a respectful environment, where every fan can enjoy football in complete safety.” they said earlier this month.
