“Ladies, you are welcome with us!” Lille wrote on the club's Twitter account, offering tickets for Saturday's game against Lorient at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Mesdames, chez nous vous êtes les bienvenues !
https://t.co/dcEBJIwAy7 pic.twitter.com/YP3qzUram5
— LOSC (@losclive) January 31, 2017
A pair of banners, one showing a woman above the word “kitchen” and another depicting a man alongside “stadium”, provoked a social media outcry.
Irate internet users blasted the banners as “misogynistic” after they were caught by Canal+ Sport cameras amidst a section of home fans during the first half of Lille's 2-1 victory at Parc OL.
Lille changed the image on Twitter and instead of “kitchen”, the name of their Pierre-Mauroy Stadium is mentioned.
“LOSC (Lille) welcomes women by proposing an exceptional offer: all places are free for women for LOSC-FC Lorient!” the northern club said, adding the offer was “valid within the limit of places available at this rate”.
France international captain Wendie Renard, star of Lyon's women's team who are the Champions League holders, took to Twitter to blast those responsible for the banners.
“Lyon supporters… can you give me an explanation for that banner? The men at the stadium, the women in the kitchen?” she demanded.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said the club were investigating the incident.
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