PSG ban upheld

Capital club will play no part in League Cup

Last updated: 29th July 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

PSG ban upheld

2008 success: Bittersweet

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Paris Saint Germain will play no part in next season's League Cup after their appeal to overturn a ban was rejected by the French Football Federation (FFF).

In April the Professional Football League (LFP) banned the winners of the 2007/08 competition after PSG fans displayed a controversial banner during their League Cup final victory over Lens.

The banner was less than complimentary about those that hail from France's North East, labelling them 'paedophiles, unemployed, inbreds'.

PSG appealed the sanction imposed on them, but following an emergency meeting on Tuesday morning, the FFF dismissed a proposal by the French national Olympic Committee (CNOSF) to have the ban replaced in favour of playing a game behind-closed-doors.

On Monday the CNOSF said they found the sanction 'disproportionate', but FFF judged the original sanction as 'appropriate given the particular nature and the seriousness of the facts'.

FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes wanted to send out a strong message that this type of behaviour would not be tolerated.

"PSG aren't being picked on but we had to remain firm faced with something that misrepresents the sport," Escalettes told AFP.

"What shocked us was to hear the CNOSF say that this sanction was 'disproportionate'.

"We think it's a suitable sanction. At the time we were accused of being lax and now we're told it's too severe."