Liga MX Playoffs Opener Halted by Referee Due to Homophobic Chant

Morelia tied Leon 3-3 at Estadio Morelos on Wednesday night, but the game was shadowed by anti-gay chants - a scene sadly too familiar in Mexican soccer - forcing the main official to briefly suspend the game.

LUIS ENRIQUE GRANADOS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

On Wednesday night, Liga MX's Apertura playoffs kicked off with a six-goal thriller between Morelia and Leon at Estadio Morelos, but the game was shadowed by anti-gay chants (a scene sadly too familiar in Mexican soccer) which forced the main official to briefly suspend the game.

The match was coming to a close when Jose Alfredo Penaloza halted action for five minutes, per Liga MX's regulations, after the announcer asked fans to stop. When the first part of protocol didn't work, Penaloza stepped in and ordered the players to leave the pitch and suspended the game for a brief period. 

¡Se aplica el reglamento por el grito homofóbico!

El partido ha sido suspendido de manera momentánea debido al grito de la gente.

👑 2-3 🦁#MonarcasMorelia | #ClubLeon | #TUFiestaEnGrande

🔴 EN VIVO 👉 https://t.co/SzX1prdXJU pic.twitter.com/uZIEElAt9v

— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) November 28, 2019

This was the first time in the league's history where the anti-chant steps had come into place. The following move is for Morelia to play behind closed doors at its next home game, but that ruling hasn't been decided. 

Liga MX has been working with the Mexican football federation (FMF) in order to nullify the goalkeeper chant, which has been ruled as homophobic and discriminatory by FIFA, who has warned Mexico it could get disqualified from Qatar 2022 if it continues. 

In a game that brought so much action, it's a shame that the biggest talking point is a negative one.