
Lyon's Matic, Le Havre's Hassan given two-game bans after concealing Ligue 1's anti-homophobia badge
Serbian Matic, 36, had put on a tape over the anti-homophobia badge when he came on as a substitute during Lyon's 2-0 home win over Angers on May 17 which was the final day of the Ligue 1 season. His Lyon contract is set to expire at the end of the month.
Egyptian Hassan, 32, also received the same punishment, with the incident having occurred during Le Havre's 3-2 win at Strasbourg.
"In addition, the committee proposed to the player - who immediately accepted at the meeting - that he take part, within six months, in a campaign to raise awareness of the fight against homophobia in football..." Ligue 1 said in a statement on Thursday.
Ligue 1 had planned for players to wear rainbow-coloured symbols on shirts or armbands and display messages in stadiums as part of its annual awareness drive.
Yet participation has been uneven in recent years, with some players citing personal or religious reasons for opting out.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
France to PAUSE all evacuations of Palestinian asylum seekers from Gaza pending outcome of anti-semitism investigation
France has paused its programme to receive Palestinians fleeing conflict-torn Gaza. The suspension is pending the outcome of an investigation into how a student accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the country, the French foreign minister said on Friday. The move comes after officials said the female student from Gaza will have to leave France after the Sciences Po university in the northern city of Lille revoked her accreditation over the online posts. 'No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn conclusions from this investigation,' Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio. All Gazans who have entered France through the scheme will undergo a second screening, he added. France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the latest war, which was triggered by the October 7, 2023 attacks. Sciences Po Lille said that after consultations with the education ministry and regional authorities, it 'has decided to cancel this student's planned registration at our establishment'. Following the recommendation by French diplomats, the woman initially lived at the home of the university's director while she waited for permanent lodgings, Sciences Po said. A French diplomatic source said the student arrived in France on July 11 on a scholarship based on 'academic excellence' and after 'security checks'. Lille's general prosecutor said on Thursday that a judicial probe has been opened against the student for allegedly trying to "justify terrorism" and "justify a crime against humanity". Screenshots of posts the student allegedly shared in September - published by pro-Israel accounts on X - include an image of Adolf Hitler and words appearing to call for the death of Jews. The account attributed to the student has been taken offline after French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau demanded it be closed down, describing the post as 'unacceptable and concerning'. 'Hamas propagandists have no place in our country,' he wrote on X. Mr Barrot confirmed that Palestinians already in France through this scheme will be 'subject to a new check' after 'failures that brought this young woman here'. 'A Gazan student making antisemitic remarks has no place in France,' said Mr Barrot, who added that he had ordered an internal inquiry. 'The screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned clearly did not work,' he added in a post on X. The woman had been offered a place at the Sciences Po Lille university as part of the programme run by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the director of the university told French newspaper Libération.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Could Pep Guardiola's 'imminent' divorce 'hurt Man City'? Sources close to legendary boss say there is 'more urgency' to finalise split as start of season approaches
Pep Guardiola and his wife are set to divorce imminently, as fears grow that their split could hurt Manchester City. The details of the Spanish football manager's divorce from wife Cristina Serra are expected to be finalised within weeks and made official as early as next month, The Sun reports. The couple had hoped to keep their separation on friendly terms, but there is now 'more urgency' as their relationship seems to have deteriorated, sources said. Pep's relationship from estranged wife Cristina has reportedly moved from 'friendly to cordial' amid 'complicated negotiations'. Spanish journalists Laura Fa, who broke the story of their split said: 'The signing of this divorce is going to be imminent. Evidently their relationship sentimentally has come to an end.' And there are now fears his marriage troubles could overshadow the start of the new season, sources say. Daily Mail has approached Manchester City for comment. Pep, 54, and Cristina, 52, have been together for 30 years and got married in 2014. Cristina, who runs a fashion business, struggled to settle in Manchester and moved back to Spain five years ago. The couple reportedly agreed to go their separate ways in December shortly after he signed a new contract with the football club, with sources claiming that it was the last straw for Cristina. The estranged couple even hired the same lawyer to avoid a messy divorce. They both attended an Oasis concert in Heaton Park last month with their two children Maria, 24, and Marius, 22, but were not pictured together. The Manchester City's boss marriage troubles, which were first reported in January, also come during his worst slump as the club's manager. Pep has already said he will leave the club in 2027 after his contract runs out to 'focus on myself'. It was claimed back in April that the couple had been trying to give their marriage a second chance after Pep and his fashion entrepreneur wife spent three days together at their former Barcelona marital home over Easter. It was the second time since news of their shock split became public in January that the former Barcelona footballer had travelled to the Catalan capital and spent time with Cristina. Barcelona-based newspaper El Nacional said after the second reunion they were prepared to 'give each another chance' and claimed 'all was not lost in their marriage.' But the journalists who broke the story of their shock split have shot down the chances of a fresh start for Pep and Cristina after their decision to call time on their 30-year relationship. Lorena Vasquez, one of a duo of well-respected Spanish showbiz reporters who call themselves the Mamarazzis, went on a Spanish TV show in February to say they had launched divorce proceedings which were 'amicable' because they were using the same lawyer. She also linked the split again to the Man City manager's unexpected decision last November to renew his contract with the Premier League club until 2027.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why Lucas Paqueta must wait to learn if he can sue the FA - after being cleared of spot-fixing following two-year investigation
Lucas Paqueta faces another frustrating wait to discover if he has grounds to appeal against verdicts that he failed to comply with the FA's spot-fixing probe that could have ended his career. The Brazilian was cleared on Thursday of deliberately picking up four yellow cards to influence betting markets, almost two years after Mail Sport broke the news that the West Ham midfielder was under investigation. An independent commission found Paqueta guilty on two charges of failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA's investigation — he denied both — for which he is likely to be fined. Paqueta must now wait for the written judgment from the trial to be published, which Mail Sport understands could take two to three weeks, before deciding whether to launch an appeal. 'They are charges we take seriously — we do need to go through the process with them with the FA and the commission,' Alastair Campbell, head of Paqueta's legal team at London firm Level, told Mail Sport. 'We need to pay that due respect. We are obviously of the view that Lucas did co-operate with the investigation so we have to look at the reasons when they are available to advise him on that.' Mail Sport revealed on Friday that Paqueta would consider taking legal action against the FA for loss of earnings once the written reasons were published. The 27-year-old was on the verge of an £85million move to Manchester City when news of the investigation caused the deal to collapse. 'In terms of whether there might be any action against the FA, it's certainly something we'll look at when we get the reasons and advise Lucas on his options,' added Campbell. West Ham are unlikely to take legal action against the FA, with club insiders suggesting it would not be a good look for football to sue the game's custodians. The FA could launch their own appeal against Paqueta's acquittal over the spot-fixing charges when the judgment is published. They face the prospect of picking up the fee for Paqueta's legal bills, understood to be around £1.5m.