Ferrari Orders Enforced Action Against Homophobic Chanting at Marseille-PSG Derby

France's Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has issued a directive to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) to enforce FIFA's three-step protocol to combat homophobic chanting at the upcoming Marseille-PSG derby on September 20, 2026. The move comes after reports from Rouge Direct, a French anti-homophobia advocacy group, highlighted recurring discriminatory chants from OM supporters at the Stade Vélodrome.

FIFA's three-step procedure involves a public address announcement warning fans to stop discriminatory behavior, suspension of the match if the behavior continues, and abandonment of the game if chanting persists after resumption. The LFP has invoked parts of this protocol before but has not implemented it fully.

This is not the first time the French government has leaned on the LFP over fan behavior. Previous sports ministers have called for stricter enforcement of anti-discrimination measures, and Ferrari's letter to LFP president Vincent Labrune creates a paper trail that makes inaction politically untenable.