About 20 minutes into the game, a group of Metz fans unfurled a 25-word home-made, hand-written banner complaining that they wanted to be allowed to hurl homophobic insults at PSG.
“PSG, LFP [Ligue 1], let me sing to you, to tell you to go fuck yourselves! I won’t be on TV, because my words are not very gay,” the first banner read.
The second banner referred to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. PSG are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a Doha-based fund with links to the Qatari royal family.
The episode came just two days after a referee halted a match between Nice and Marseille in response to homophobic banners and chants.
France's LFP league has told referees to stop play as soon as they hear or see homophobic insults of any kind.
Play has also been stopped this month at games between Nancy and Le Mans, and Monaco and Nîmes.
Metz manager Vincent Hognon told reporters he had not himself seen much of the banner, and had wanted his team to stay focused on the game.
“Football must remain a party and it went pretty well tonight,” he said.
In the end Paris Saint Germain won the match 2-0.
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