A cruel admission after Lyon

The meeting between Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice last Sunday was marked by a controversial arbitration decision which caused controversy. In the 48th minute of play, when the score was 3-1 for Lyon, a contentious action in the Lyon area escaped the control of referee Bastien Dechepy, despite video assistance.

An obvious fault not punished

The pictures show Duje Caleta-Car holding Evann Guessand by the arms before dropping him into the surface. The Croatian defender clearly surrounded his opponent with one arm, then both, without worrying about the ball. Despite this obvious faultthe referee did not grant the penalty requested by the Niçois, a blatant error according to the FFF Refereeing Department.

The FFF admits a serious refereeing error

In his analysis, the governing body of French football considered that a penalty should have been awarded against Lyon. It underlines that the intervention of the defender does not allow the attacker to continue his action and therefore constitutes a punishable offense. The FFF concludes that“a penalty was expected following the viewing at the side of the field, as well as a warning to the offender for unsporting behavior”.

A hard blow for Nice

This major refereeing error potentially deprived OGC Nice of a penalty at 3-2, while the match was still open. A game fact determinant which could have weighed heavily in the large defeat of the Aiglons (4-1). The FFF thus recognizes a injustice committed towards the Nice team.