Paris, April 21 (IANS) French football club Paris Saint-Germain have said that they will suspend their boycott of television station Canal+ and its filials.
“Paris Saint-Germain, satisfied by the efforts of the LFP (French Football League) to clarify the conditions of exploitation of TV coverage when the players leave the field of play, has decided to suspend its boycott of TV station Canal+ and its filials,” the Ligue 1 champions said on Monday, reports Xinhua.
PSG had previously decided to boycott Canal+ until the end of the season as the station’s coverage of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s rant last month played a big part in the Swede’s ban.
Ibrahimovic, who called France “a shit country” while cursing the referee after PSG’s 2-3 defeat to Bordeaux on March 15, had been handed a four-match suspension by LFP for his foul-mouthed outburst before the ban was reduced to three games.
Following the ban, PSG announced on April 10 that they would not speak to Canal+ until May 30. The French champions, however, changed their mind on Monday and said their boycott decision was justified by desire for change.
“We ask broadcasters to respect the privacy of players once they have left the field of play, rather than try and cover their every reaction and movement during moments of extreme tension and frustration,” the club said in a statement.
“In the desire of focusing purely on the end of season that promises to be intense, right to the very end, the club has decided to suspend its boycott of TV station Canal+ and its filials but will remain vigilant in its need to protect its players. We will monitor the broadcasting of all filmed material.”