Freshly retired, ex-Lensois Jimmy Cabot reminded those who may have forgotten him of the little affection he has for referee Hakim Ben El Hadj, several of whose decisions were contested on Sunday, after the defeat (0- 1) RC Lens against Toulouse, in Bollaert.
The atmosphere at the Sang et Or is like the weather this week: gloomy. Surprised by TFC (0-1) in Bollaert, Sunday evening, Will Still’s Racing Club de Lens lost contact with the leading pack of the French championship, and let go of the European places. At the end of a hectic week on the transfer market, Lens forgot to score on its highlights, exposing itself to the vagaries of a meeting over which it ended up losing control, annoyed by certain refereeing decisions. “Thank you for respecting Mr. Ben El Hadj, always difficult for him to manage events…”, joked about X the recently retired Jimmy Cabot, in solidarity with his former teammates.
This is not the first time Cabot has taken a dig at the match referee, who hasn’t left him with many good memories. “The guys in the truck… it’s terrible. My friend Ben El Hadj again who is picking up,” Jimmy Cabot tweeted almost two years ago, in February 2023, after a draw in Brest for RC Lens , marked at the time by numerous very unfavorable decisions by the arbitrator, Mr. Bastien. Hakim Ben El Hadj then officiated as video assistant on this match.
“From red, the two teams got angry”
In the sights of the ex-Lensois midfielder on Sunday evening, the contested expulsion of David Pereira Da Costa. If he had initially judged it appropriate to be satisfied with a warning against him, Mr. Ben El Hadj finally reversed his judgment after intervention by the VAR, expelling the Lensois. A decision which soured the meeting.
“The red changes the appearance of the match. It makes me moan, Florian Sotoca said annoyed after the match. Especially since the referee speaks with David (Pereira Da Costa). He tells him that he has understood that he did not want to hurt Djibril Sidibé by removing his foot (…) From red, the two teams got angry.”
