Metz docked point over racist incident

Ligue 1's bottom club FC Metz have received a one-point penalty and must play one home game behind closed doors after a racist incident at their ground last month.

Fan abuse
The disciplinary committee of the French Professional League handed down the punishment after the Valenciennes FC captain, Morocco defender Abdeslam Ouaddou, was racially abused by a Metz fan. Ouaddou even stepped into the stands during the Ligue 1 match at the Stade Saint-Symphorien to "seek an explanation from the person who had not stopped insulting me from the minute the game started". A civil action relating to the incident on 16 February has now been stopped. The decision of the football authorities leaves Metz, who were promoted last season, with 17 points from 30 games – another 17 points off safety and fourth-from-bottom RC Lens.