By Julien Pretot
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (Reuters) – Some Tunisian fans whistled at the French national anthem when it was played before kickoff at the World Cup Group D game between Tunisia and France at the Education City stadium on Wednesday.
In 2008, supporters at the Stade de France whistled at “La Marseillaise” ahead of a friendly game between France and Tunisia, a former French colony which gained independence in 1956.
It led to an angry reaction from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who summoned the French Football Federation to a meeting and demanded no more matches on French soil against the national teams of former colonies from North Africa.
It was effectively the last game on home soil for France against Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia.
More than 700,000 Tunisians live in France, with about two thirds of them being dual nationals.
In 2001, Algeria fans jeered at the French anthem before a friendly game between the Maghreb side and France, who were leading 4-1 when supporters ran onto the pitch with about 15 left before the game was abandoned.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
