NOEL LE GRAET, president of the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) believes referees have been wrong to halt a spate of domestic matches marred by homophobia.
Ligue 1 games in Nice and Metz were paused in the space of a week last month after discriminatory banners were displayed in the crowd.
A second-tier encounter between Nancy and Le Mans was first to be stopped earlier in August as match officials acted on new instructions to intervene in the event of homophobic chanting or displays.
French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu backed the Ligue de Football Professionnel’s attempts to stamp out discrimination, but Le Graet, a Fifa Council member, thinks interrupting play is misguided.
“I would not stop the matches,” Le Graet told France Info.
It’s a mistake, totally, because I don’t want to be held hostage to homophobia. I would stop a match for racist abuse, that’s clear, or for security reasons.
“We’re going to make sure the banners disappear, there is security to make sure that happens, but stopping matches is something else.
“It’s not football but society in general that has to think about the problem, at school and in companies, everywhere.”
Addressing the fans responsible, Le Graet said: “Do not come to the stadium with banners, it’s as simple as that.
“You can support your team, but [homophobia is] absolutely wrong morally.”
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Is that the old schoolmaster from d’unbelievables?
Why is it ok to stop it for racism but not homophobia?
What about sectarism, should games be stopped for that?
Sexist chatting?
Body shaming the oppositions striker?
Once you stop games for one thing where do you draw the line?
@Kingshu: he obviously thinks there are no gay footballers …
If you stop matches real fans will begin to get pissed off at the idiots. Fines and banning people will also help. Then the problem will eventually be stamped out.
Homophobia solved. Thanks Noel
@Mossy: Yeah I was worried about that homophobia scare a few years back but Noel seems to have it sorted. Doesn’t matter anyway, I read in the Daily Telegraph that homosexuality has been eradicated from places like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Alabama…
How can guys like this be in charge of major sporting organisations? Fifa really is broken beyond fixing!