The football stopped under the lights in Lyon on Saturday night, with Olympique Lyonnais two goals ahead of Rennes, as an abusive banner and subsequent homophobic chanting from the North Stand forced referee Mathieu Vernice to halt the Ligue 1 fixture.
Match halted during the first half
The Matchday 5 meeting was first interrupted in the 36th minute after the match delegate alerted Vernice to a banner aimed at Saint-Etienne, Lyon’s historic rivals.
The message, which had already been displayed around an hour before kick-off, used a South American Spanish insult directed at Saint-Etienne. Stadium screens and the public-address system then called for it to be removed.
- After the initial stoppage, supporters in the North Stand reacted angrily to the requests and repeatedly displayed the banner again.
- Homophobic chants were then heard from the same section of the stadium.
- Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso approached the stand in an attempt to calm the situation.
- Head coach Paulo Fonseca followed, accompanied by defender Moussa Niakhaté, and gestured to the supporters to settle down.
- At the delegate’s further intervention, Vernice ordered both teams from the pitch in the 40th minute.
- Lyon returned first in the 46th minute, with play resuming after a total interruption of approximately 15 minutes.
Security concerns during exchanges
During the exchanges between Lyon representatives and the supporters, ultras and members of the security staff obstructed photographers working at the stadium.
The game was able to continue after the extended suspension, with Lyon still holding their two-goal advantage over Rennes.
