Friday's Ligue 2 clash between Nancy and Le Mans was temporarily halted after repeated homophobic chanting from home supporters at Stade Marcel Picot

Friday's Ligue 2 clash between Nancy and Le Mans was temporarily halted after repeated homophobic chanting from home supporters at Stade Marcel Picot.

Referee Mehdi Mokhtari brought the game to a halt in the first half as part of new regulations aimed at decreasing discrimination in French football.

Supporters had been warned to stop their chanting over the stadium's loudspeaker system and Mokhtari stopped play when the songs continued.

RMC Sport reports the chants were aimed at the French Football League (LFP) and local rivals FC Metz.

Bravo à l’arbitre Mehdi Mokhtari d’avoir interrompu courageusement le match face aux chants homophobes entonnés lors de Nancy - Le Mans comme le permet le règlement.

Le foot est un sport passionnant.

Il doit le rester pour tous. ⚽️⚽️#nerienlaisserpasser https://t.co/F4CIyoy765 — 🇫🇷 MarleneSchiappa (@MarleneSchiappa) August 16, 2019

Play resumed after Nancy players pleaded with fans to stop and they went on to win 2-1 despite having two players sent off, scoring the winner from the penalty spot five minutes into added time.

A tweet from Secretary of State for Gender Equality & Anti Discrimination Marlene Schiappa read: "Congratulations to referee Mehdi Mokhtari for having bravely interrupted the match against homophobic songs sung at Nancy - Le Mans, as allowed by the rules. Football is an exciting sport. It must remain so for all."