A new concern before the shock against Monaco

This Sunday's match between Olympique de Marseille and AS Monaco promises to be a shock at the top of Ligue 1. However, Marseille fans could have reason to worry with the appointment of Clement Turpin at the whistle and Jeremy Pignard to VAR. This duo of referees has indeed been at the heart of numerous controversies involving OM in the past.

A mixed result for Clément Turpin

Of the 42 matches refereed by Clément Turpin involving Olympique de Marseille, the Phocéens only won 14 victoriesfor 19 defeats and 9 draws. A contrasting assessment which raises questions. Marseille's last victory under his leadership dates back to October 2024, during a large 5-0 success against Montpellier. We have to go back to the Jorge Sampaoli era to find another success, a 4-2 victory against AS Saint-Étienne.

Jérémie Pignard and the memory of a disputed penalty

On the VAR side, the presence of Jérémie Pignard also revives bad memories for the Marseillais. During a previous confrontation between OM and Monaco, Pignard distinguished himself with a controversial decision by not whistling a penalty in favor of the Phocéens after an uncontrolled tackle by Maripán on Kolasinac in the 73rd minute. An error qualified as “VAR’s biggest mistake” by coach Igor Tudor, who denounced a situation “unbelievable, unacceptable”. President Pablo Longoria also expressed his incomprehension in front of the cameras.

A high-tension match

With this background, this Sunday's clash between OM and Monaco could well be played out in a tense climate, where each arbitration decision will be closely scrutinized by both camps. The pressure will be great on Turpin and Pignard to demonstrate impartiality and an impeccable level of refereeing, in order to avoid any further controversy in a match which promises to be crucial for the two teams at the top of the ranking.