French Refereeing Body Reviews Three Weekend Incidents
The French Refereeing Technical Directorate (DTA) has issued its weekly analysis of contentious decisions from Ligue 1, confirming one offside call and overturning two penalty awards. The review, a standard procedure, focused on incidents from matches involving Rennes, Angers, Toulouse, Lille, Lyon, and Lorient.
In Rennes' 1-0 win over Angers, a goal scored via an Angers defender's own deflection was allowed to stand after a VAR check for a potential offside against Rennes' Breel Embolo. The DTA confirmed this Tuesday, stating the forward was in an offside position but ruled he had "no influence on the action," validating the on-field decision.
A penalty awarded to Lille in their 4-0 victory against Toulouse has been upheld. The incident saw Toulouse defender Dayann Methalie handle the ball under pressure from Lille's Ethan Mbappé. After being summoned to the pitchside monitor, referee Jérôme Brisard pointed to the spot. The DTA supported his call, concluding that the defender "deliberately touched the ball with his arm." Olivier Giroud converted the resulting penalty.
However, a penalty given to Lorient in their match against Lyon has been deemed incorrect by the reviewing body. Lorient's Jean-Victor Makengo went down under contact from Lyon's Afonso Moreira. The DTA analysis concluded that Moreira was initially pushed in the back by Makengo, stating, "Under these conditions, the potential penalty is not justified, and the initial foul by the attacker should be sanctioned by a direct free-kick in favor of the defense." The original call, which led to a Lorient penalty that was missed, would have been overturned had the review been available in real-time.
These weekly publications are part of the French football federation's efforts to provide transparency regarding the use of VAR and key match decisions. They offer public explanations for rulings but do not alter the official match results. The process is intended to clarify interpretations of the laws for clubs, media, and fans, though the judgments often remain points of debate.
