Having just been elected the best referee in the world in 2024, François Letexier is judged today by the FFF. The clash between Wilfried
Singo et Gianluigi Donnarumma who left a beautiful mark on the Italian goalkeeper's face had not been sanctioned in any way by the French referee.
On December 18, theAS Monaco and the
PSG played the 16th day of Ligue
1 in advance, due to Champions Trophy scheduled for this first weekend of January 2025. The men of Luis Enrique won with a score of 2-4 on the lawn of Stade Louis IIbut lost their goalkeeper shortly after the first quarter of an hour. Indeed, Gianluigi Donnarumma was violently hit by Wilfried
Singowhich arrived sole forward on the Italian's face. Thus, the latter found himself on the ground, open in the cheek, and obliged to go out after having staples placed on his face directly on the lawn. Following this action, François Letexierdid not see fit to exclude the Monegasque defender, already warned of a yellow card at this point in the match. A decision which did not fail to cause controversy, and today rejected by the FFF.
In its weekly report, the highest authority in French football explains: “ This situation is very difficult to judge, between recklessness, lack of intentionality, lack of consideration and endangering the physical integrity of the goalkeeper […] Analyzing the images, the attacker certainly plays the ball, but his action endangers the physical integrity of the goalkeeper, given the sole directly impacting the latter's face […]. The intervention of the video assistance was expected to modify the initial decision and exclude the offending player“. In addition to its report, the FFF also shared images of the VAR truck, occupied that evening by Jerome Brisard :
« I won't send you (see the images again; Editor's note). There is no extra movement, he wants to avoid it, he jumps over it. Unfortunately, he hits it… The consequences are enormous, of course, but there is nothing we can do“, he whispered in the ear of
François Letexier.
