PSG fans banned for Boulogne visit

The French Professional League (LFP) on Wednesday ordered Paris Saint-Germain to play their home league game with Boulogne on March 28 behind closed doors.

The ruling was a punishment for the violent scenes that marred PSG’s 3-0 defeat at home to Marseille on Sunday.

PSG were ordered to seal off the stands behind each goal at their Parc des Princes home following incidents during last season’s corresponding fixture, when home fans threw flares and ran onto the pitch.

The latest sanction is harsher due to the serious nature of the incidents on Sunday, when – in the absence of Marseille fans who had boycotted the match due to concerns about stringent security measures – PSG supporters from rival groups fought each other after the game, leaving one fan in a coma.

PSG had announced on Tuesday that they will no longer sell tickets for away games to the club’s fans and would not appeal if they were forced to play home matches behind closed doors.

“We will no longer sell tickets to our supporters for away matches until further notice,” said PSG president Robin Leproux.

“We will not appeal to the league in the case that we are forced to play behind closed doors. We have to take responsibility for the image we are presenting today.”