Paris Saint-Germain's hardcore supporters will be in the spotlight as much as the club's players on Tuesday night during the Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven after French league bosses launched an investigation into homophobic chanting during PSg's Ligue 1 game on Saturday with Strasbourg.
PSG won the encounter at the Parc des Princes 4-2 and a similar result at the same venue against the Dutch champions would be a welcome boost for Luis Enrique's side in the competition following a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in their second game.
"PSV are a very high-level team, there's no doubt about it," said Enrique on the eve of the tie.
"They won the Dutch league with incredible figures last season,” the 54-year-old Spaniard added.
“It'll be a complicated match, no doubt about it. It'll be similar to the Strasbourg game. PSV put you under pressure high up the field. They play very well on the ball and defend well.”
Win
PSG's victory over Strasbourg took them top of Ligue 1 with 20 points from eight games.
But the fixture was marred by a deluge of homophobic chanting aimed at Marseille – who PSG play on Sunday night – and the former PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot who moved to Marseille after five years at Juventus.
Bosses at the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which organises the top two divisions in France, launched an investigation into the incident.
“These latest discriminatory chants made by Paris Saint-Germain supporters are unacceptable when, at the same time, the whole of professional soccer has been working to ban homophobic behaviour and chants from stadiums,” the LFP added.
The French government also weighed into the controversy. Othman Nasrou, the interior minister in charge of reducing discrimination, said his department and the sports ministry would meet club executives to thrash out ways to stop the outbursts.
"We will be uncompromising," Nasrou added.
PSV will play in the French capital aiming to relaunch their Champions League campaign without their fans who were barred from travelling.
"Despite the fact that PSV had no penalties outstanding, French police are citing past disturbances with supporters ... there are also some domestic security issues at play," the club said.
PSV boss Peter Bosz added: “It's a shame not to have our supporters in Europe's best competition. We wanted our fans with us. It's not right that they're not here.”
With or without the backing of the PSV faithful, Bosz's players need a win. They lost their opening game on 17 September and drew 1-1 at home with Porto on 1 October to lie 24th in the 36-team league.
In the revamped format of the Champions League, the top eight sides qualify automatically for the last-16 knockout stages while teams between ninth and 24th take part in a play-off for the eight other spots.
Bosz, who was head coach at Ligue 1 club Lyon for a season, admitted his players faced a challenge.
"PSG play a really offensive brand of football," said the 60-year-old Dutchman. "Enrique loves to send out sides that dominate and even though the PSG teams that I faced during my time at Lyon were good, I think it will be more difficult to beat this one."
