Excerpt:
The mayor of Nice has threatened to cut the subsidies of football clubs which fail to respect its new "secularism charter", that includes keeping religion, in particular Islam, off the football pitch.
France's latest battle to ensure the principles of secularism are being upheld is taking place on the football pitches of the Riviera city of Nice.
In a city where the right wing mayor Christian Estrosi is fighting to prevent a new mosque from opening, authorities are also trying to ensure that Muslims do not bring their religious beliefs anywhere near the municipal football pitches.