Refugee crisis: Lyon fans display 'refugees not welcome' banner during Ligue 1 clash with Lille

The banner was removed by stewards within minutes of its appearance

Lyon fans display 'refugees not welcome' banner (Twitter/@HibouxTerrible)

Lyon supporters have become the second group of fans to display a 'refugees not welcome' banner during one of their club's games, amid the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe.

The banner, cut into three parts, appeared during the club's 0-0 draw at home against Lille at the Stade Gerland on Saturday and comes in stark contrast to the displays of pro-refugee sentiment shown in Germany's Bundesliga divisions and across English football.

According to a tweet by radio station journalist Charly Moriceau, the banner was removed within five minutes of being held up in the ground. Television cameras broadcasting the Ligue 1 fixture failed to capture footage of the banner.

Another image, reportedly taken before the game in the Saint-Georges region of the city, shows a group of supporters with the banner before it was cut into three parts. The group can also be seen with a flag bearing 'Mezza', the name of one of the club's supporters groups.

Earlier this week, Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv, who face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday, also displayed a banner reading 'refugees not welcome' before their game against Kiryat Shmona.

Both Lyon and Maccabi Tel Aviv, as clubs involved in the Champions League, have pledged to donate €1 from every ticket sold at their first home game to aid those fleeing from war-torn countries and attempting to build a better life in Europe.

Clubs including Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have pledged money and resources to the various charities supporting refugees caught up in the crisis, while a national 'day of action' across English football on Saturday saw supporters of numerous clubs display their solidarity with those suffering on the continent.

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