This Saturday, the Stade Bauer in Saint-Ouen will host a Coupe de France match between FC Nantes and JA Drancy. Florent Batta, an experienced 42-year-old referee from Marseille, will be in charge of this meeting. He had not refereed Nantes since a defeat against Lens last February.
During the 2023/24 season, Batta officiated in several matches for the Canaries, including their prolific 5-3 victory against Lorient. Unfortunately, he was also the referee in the decisive 1-3 defeat to Metz, which contributed to the departure of Pierre Aristouy.
It should be noted that in the Coupe de France, video assistance refereeing (VAR) is not used before the quarter-finals. This adds an extra dimension to the decisions made on the field during this competition.
According to the rankings of the French Football Federation (FFF), Florent Batta ranked 19th among Ligue 1 referees last season. This positioning placed him just penultimate, with Gaillouste in twentieth place, who was demoted.
This season, Florent Batta alternates between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, directing approximately one match out of two in each league. This alternation testifies to his versatility and his ability to manage meetings of different levels.
For Saturday’s match, Batta will be assisted by Yann Thenard and Sébastien Lemaire. Tifenn Leprodhomme will be the replacement referee, while Muriele Prigent will take on the role of main delegate, ensuring the smooth running of the event.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. Football fans will be able to follow the match live on BeIN Sports Max 6, giving fans the opportunity to not miss any of the action on the pitch.
