Liam Rosenior abused but guides Paris FC past old club Strasbourg

PARIS - Paris FC extended their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 campaign, beating coach Liam Rosenior’s old charges Strasbourg 2-1 on Sept 19 in a match marred by abusive chants towards the Englishman from visiting fans.

The game was halted in the second half as Rosenior was targeted by his former supporters.

There were also ugly scenes after the final whistle as Rosenior motioned to remonstrate with the away fans and had to be pulled away by his players.

“I understand French, I knew what they were saying and they went too far. It’s a great city and a great club, but there were many reasons for me to celebrate the way I did,” Rosenior said after the game, adding that the provocation came from a small section of fans who had never wished him well.

Rosenior was brought back to France after a torrid time at Chelsea by Paris FC’s multi-billionaire owners, the Arnault family, and has taken the team to third place in the table behind Monaco and Lyon.

Goals from Ilan Kebbal on 18 minutes and Pablo Pagis 12 minutes into the second half were enough for the capital club to add a third win to their two draws so far this campaign, despite conceding a late own goal by Moustapha Mbow.

Rennes missed a chance to join table-toppers Monaco on 13 points when they were thrashed 4-0 away at Lyon in one of the late matches on Sept 19 that was also halted briefly due to an offensive banner.

Instead, cash-strapped Lyon climbed to second after dominating the match throughout with Ghana striker Ernest Nuamah firing a first-half brace.

Swiss defender Zachary Athekame made it 3-0 with a toe poke following a goalmouth scramble and captain Corentin Tolisso thumped home a fourth late on.

Elsewhere, promoted side Le Mans earned their first victory of the season with a 2-1 home success over Lorient.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have just five points from their opening four games and visit bitter rivals Marseille on Sept 20. AFP