The Ligue 1 game on Wednesday between Nice and Marseille was halted for about 10 minutes after Nice fans unfurled two banners with homophobic messages.
One banner referred to Tuesday’s takeover of Nice by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the UK’s richest person.
The banner displayed a play on words referring to the fact that Ratcliffe also owns Team Ineos cycling and using the term pedale, which in French means “to pedal” in cycling, but is also a derogatory term used to define gay people.
“Welcome to the Ineos group: at Nice we also love to pedal,” it read.
Another banner criticized Ligue 1 authorities for approving more fenced-off sections in the stands, saying it makes for “more gay” stadiums.
That was followed by sporadic chanting against the league with an anti-gay slur.
Referee Clement Turpin interrupted the game midway through the first half. Marseille won 2-1.
Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien told broadcaster Canal Plus that halting the match was the wrong decision.
“We’re not going to stop the game each time some morons do something,” Cyprien said.
Earlier this month, referee Mehdi Mokhtari stopped a second-division match between Nancy and Le Mans for about a minute after an initial appeal to stop homophobic chanting failed to have an effect.
On Wednesday, the league said that the Piantoni stand in Nancy’s stadium — from where the chants were made — would be shut for the next match.
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