Matic, Hassan banned for hiding anti-LGBTQ+ sign

Lyon's Nemanja Matic and Le Havre's Ahmed Hassan person each been handed two-game bans with a further 2 matches suspended aft they concealed Ligue 1's anti-homophobia badge connected their shirts, the French top-flight said.

Matic, 36, had enactment connected a portion implicit the anti-homophobia badge erstwhile helium came connected arsenic a substitute during Lyon's 2-0 location triumph implicit Angers connected May 17 -- the last time of the Ligue 1 season. His Lyon declaration is acceptable to expire astatine the extremity of the month.

Hassan, 32, received the aforesaid punishment, with the incidental having occurred during Le Havre's 3-2 triumph astatine Strasbourg.

"In addition, the committee projected to the subordinate -- who instantly accepted astatine the gathering -- that helium instrumentality part, wrong six months, successful a run to rise consciousness of the combat against homophobia successful football..." Ligue 1 said successful a connection connected Thursday.

Ligue 1 had planned for players to deterioration rainbow-coloured symbols connected shirts oregon armbands and show messages successful stadiums arsenic portion of its yearly consciousness drive.

Yet information has been uneven successful caller years, with immoderate players citing idiosyncratic oregon spiritual reasons for opting out.