With Lyon leading 2-0, the noise at the stadium gave way to an unusual pause on Saturday as the Ligue 1 match against Rennes was stopped for around ten minutes.
The Ligue 1 news
Lyon’s fifth-round fixture with Rennes was interrupted during the first half after insulting banners and chants appeared in the stands, alongside a mock green coffin.
Referee Mathieu Vernice ordered both teams back into the stadium corridors after several public warnings had failed to stop the behaviour. The match was eventually resumed and there was no further stoppage of the same kind.
Corentin Tolisso spoke to Lyon’s ultras during the interruption, urging calm. Afterwards, the Lyon midfielder said he opposed the offensive material but called for a consistent response across French stadiums.
“I am against it, but it has to be done everywhere,” Tolisso said. “There are chants and banners in stadiums every week. Stopping matches is right, but it must happen in every match, not only when Lyon are 2-0 up and there is a banner.”
Tolisso also described his exchange with the match delegate during the stoppage. “I am clearly against it, but the same approach must apply everywhere. The delegate told me that was how he operated. It was unfortunate because it forced a break in our match, which was the last thing we wanted.”
Lyon regained control once play restarted and completed a 4-0 win over Rennes. The result moved OL provisionally into second place in the Ligue 1 table.
The next appointment in France
Lyon will now look to carry the momentum of their emphatic victory into the next stage of the French season, while the debate over how Ligue 1 handles insulting chants and banners is likely to continue.
