Rosenior beats Strasbourg with Paris FC and confronts his former fans

Paris FC keep rolling. On Saturday they beat Strasbourg 2-1 at Stade Jean Bouin and, with 11 points from five matches, provisionally climbed to third place in Ligue 1 without having lost so far. But the afternoon belonged to one man above all: Liam Rosenior, the Parisian club's head coach and former Strasbourg manager, who endured a tense reunion with the fans he once called his own.

• Paris FC won 2-1 against Strasbourg and now have 11 points from five games, still unbeaten.
• The match was stopped for five minutes after visiting fans insulted Liam Rosenior's mother.
• At full time, Rosenior celebrated defiantly in front of Strasbourg supporters, leading to pushing between players.
• Lyon thrashed Rennes 4-0 to hand the Bretons their first defeat and move level with Paris FC in second.
• The Lyon-Rennes game was also halted for thirteen minutes because of an offensive banner aimed at Saint-Étienne.

Five-minute stoppage over chants aimed at Rosenior's family

It was far from a routine afternoon for the home bench. Late in the game, the stadium announcer at Stade Jean Bouin had to urge the travelling Strasbourg fans to stop their aggressive chants against Rosenior. Things escalated to the point that play was suspended for five minutes because of insults directed at the English coach's mother. Rather than cooling down, the atmosphere became even more charged once the final whistle blew.

Rosenior's defiant celebration sets the pitch alight

With the 2-1 win already sealed, the Paris FC manager walked toward the section occupied by the away supporters. There he celebrated by beating his chest and stretching out his arms, a gesture that lit the fuse. The scene quickly turned into pushing between players from both teams on the pitch. Afterwards, Rosenior explained his actions without hiding his anger.

A small section of the fans — and I want to stress that it was only a small section, because Strasbourg is a fantastic club — were disrespectful. They insulted my family. My bench was very angry. So for me, celebrating that way was obviously sending a message. I won't say any more about it.

Why Strasbourg supporters have not forgiven Rosenior

The resentment from the Alsatian fanbase runs deep. In January this year, Rosenior left the Strasbourg dugout to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, a club that shares ownership with the French side under the BlueCo consortium. The move did not last: in April, before the season even ended, he was dismissed at Stamford Bridge. For Strasbourg fans, that departure still stings.

What Paris FC are chasing at the top of Ligue 1

The win keeps the capital club in a strong position at this stage of the campaign. With 11 points, they share second place with Lyon and sit just two points behind leaders Monaco. Starting the season unbeaten, with a squad responding to Rosenior's plan, only raises expectations of staying near the top of the table in the weeks ahead.

Lyon crush Rennes in another match scarred by the stands

The matchday produced another emphatic result. Lyon, also unbeaten, handed Rennes their first defeat with a resounding 4-0 and climbed into second place, level on points with Paris FC. Yet that game was not without controversy either. It was halted for thirteen minutes around the half-hour mark because of an offensive banner aimed at Saint-Étienne, Lyon's eternal rivals and now in Ligue 2. Paulo Fonseca and several players went over to talk to the fans in the north stand before both teams briefly returned to the dressing rooms.