The start of the French cup final was delayed for 20 minutes tonight after the national anthem was booed by some spectators and an angry President Jacques Chirac demanded an apology.
"It's inadmissible and unacceptable ... (that) France be humiliated by a gesture of this nature," said Chirac, who was present for the match between football teams Lorient and Bastia.
He ordered the game be halted until the French Football Federation apologised. The two teams returned to the dressing room for about 20 minutes.
Federation president Claude Simonet said his organisation "presents its apologies to France because the Marseillaise was booed.
"The match will not start except in calm because we are sportsmen."
When the booing started, Chirac was seen saying "I'm leaving." He left his seat and went inside.
"I will not tolerate and will not accept that the essential values of the (French) republic and those who express them be so attacked," a visibly angry Chirac told TF1 television.
The boos appeared to be coming from Corsicans in the St Denis Stadium in Paris, supporting their team Bastia.
AP