Lyon’s Outrage Over Controversial Refereeing Decisions in PSG Match

Lyon was left incensed after a series of critical officiating decisions went against them in their match against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In the 27th minute, an alleged handball by Ilia Zabarnyi inside the penalty area was not penalized. Shortly after, a goal by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was allowed to stand, despite a previous tackle from behind by Vitinha on Tanner Tessmann. Just before half-time, a challenge by Kang-in Lee on Nicolas Tagliafico inside the PSG box also went unacknowledged. The controversy escalated when Tagliafico received a straight red card for a late tackle on Vitinha, reducing Lyon to ten men. The VAR confirmed the decision, inciting outrage among Lyon’s players and coaching staff.

Lyon’s assistant coach, Jorge Maciel, launched a pointed critique in the post-match aftermath, asserting that only the four officials on the field failed to recognize the fouls committed throughout the game. He remarked, “I believe there are 59,000 spectators in the stadium, and only four of them did not see the fouls we analyzed. We don’t even need to look at the replays. When decisions are made in one direction, it is incomprehensible. The refusal to even discuss it is baffling.”

Maciel further accused the officials of showing bias towards PSG, implying that the reigning champions did not require additional advantages, as they are already the preeminent team in Europe.

In a subsequent interview with L’Equipe, Delerue, the head of the Ligue 1 referee association, defended the officiating crew and explained their reasoning behind the contentious decisions. He addressed the lack of a penalty call for Zabarnyi’s handball, stating, “The VAR adhered to IFAB protocol by examining all available angles and images, none of which conclusively indicated that the decision not to award a penalty was erroneous, nor whether Zabarnyi actually made contact with the ball.”

Delerue also justified the assessment of Lee’s challenge on Tagliafico, asserting, “Lee’s engagement was not actionable under the laws of the game. It was natural contact that did not inhibit Tagliafico’s ability to play the ball.”

PSG, despite missing several key players, including Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Nuno Mendes due to injuries, took an early lead in the match when Warren Zaire-Emery scored within the first ten minutes. Lyon quickly equalized through Moreira; however, Kvaratskhelia soon restored PSG’s lead. Ainsley Maitland-Niles then struck again, leveling the score at 2-2. As the match appeared set to end in a draw, Joao Neves scored from a late corner, sealing the victory for Luis Enrique’s side. This result propelled PSG back to the top of the league table, while Lyon fell to seventh place.

Kvaratskhelia’s goal came immediately after Vitinha’s foul on Tessmann. Delerue acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating, “This is a very intricate scenario on which the DA could not arrive at a unanimous conclusion. The contact did affect Tessmann’s capacity to maintain control of the ball, which is why we would generally view it as a foul in the context of recovery and disallow the goal. However, we are in a grey area, which explains why the VAR’s decision to uphold the central referee’s call is understandable.”

Looking ahead, Enrique plans to utilize the international break to recover injured players and refine his tactical approach. The PSG manager aims to address lessons learned from their recent defeat against Bayern Munich and make necessary adjustments to enhance his team’s overall performance.

Currently, PSG leads the French top flight with a two-point advantage over Marseille and Lens, while Lyon, winless in their last four matches, sits seventh in the standings, seven points behind the defending champions.