The match between Olympique Marseille and Lille in the round of 16 of the French Cup, which ended with Marseille’s elimination on penalties (4-3) after regular time ended in a draw (1-1), witnessed great controversy due to the expulsion of Mehdi Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director.
Lille took the lead in the 68th minute thanks to a goal scored by Icelandic international Haraldsson, putting Marseille in a difficult position. But the French team succeeded in adjusting the score in the minute (90+6) through Brazilian Luis Enrique, who scored a fatal goal that restored hope to the team and forced the two teams to go to penalties.
Despite the excitement on the field, the events outside the lines were the most eye-catching. Benatia was sent off by referee Clement Turpin in the last minutes due to his sharp protests against the refereeing decisions. The expulsion came after what Benatia described as an attempt to defend his team.
In statements he made to beIN Sports after the match, Benatia expressed his astonishment at what happened, saying: “What I experienced tonight is dangerous! I was on the field among the fans, and I asked the fourth official to inform Turpin that there was a clear penalty kick for the player Jonathan Rowe, but he claimed that I I threatened him. I know I can’t talk much, but I demand to review the photos!”
He added, explaining: “After scoring the equalizer, I went to the fourth referee and asked him to clarify the existence of a penalty kick, then I intervened to break up a clash between our coach and the president of Lille Club. Suddenly, I was surprised by referee Turban expelling me from a distance of 50 meters based on the words of the fourth referee, who said: You pointed at me.” She threatened me, “Why am I not allowed to speak and defend my team?”
Benatia’s expulsion and his statements raised many questions about the refereeing decisions and their impact on the outcome of the match, which increased the frustration of Marseille fans after their exclusion from the tournament.
It is noteworthy that the match witnessed the participation of Moroccan players Oussama Sahraoui and Ayoub Bouadi with the Lille team in the 90th minute, while international Olympian Bilal Nadir entered as a substitute for Marseille in the 74th minute.
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