Waldemar Kita Takes a Stand Against French Refereeing!

This Sunday evening, OL experienced a joyful moment. After a solid win in the Europa League on Thursday, the team continued its success against FC Nantes. Following four games without a league victory, Lyon made a strong comeback with Martin Satriano scoring twice. Despite the satisfactory performance from Paulo Fonseca’s side, they benefited significantly from the expulsion of Junior Mwanga just before halftime. The Lyon native received a red card for a high foot that grazed Hans Hateboer’s face.

This decision, made with assistance from VAR, sparked outrage from Waldemar Kita. Present in the mixed zone, the president of Nantes did not hold back in his criticism of referee Abdelatif Kherradji, likening him to a kangaroo in front of reporters: “Today, I totally agree that the VAR needed to be consulted, but the final decision rests with the referee. When the referee hops back and forth, saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’, it raises questions about their authority and training. I’m sorry. I’m not alone in expressing unkind remarks about refereeing. There is a problem, and it’s confusing. There shouldn’t have been a red card for Junior Mwanga on a mid-field foul with no consequence… then we score a goal later (which was disallowed in the 86th minute), and five minutes later, we return to a foul. This isn’t serious. It shows a lack of professionalism. And we must just keep quiet and pay up without saying anything.”

Waldemar Kita questions the state of French refereeing

Clearly upset, the 72-year-old businessman vented his frustrations again about refereeing in France: “Yesterday, during the Monaco-PSG match, there was another incident involving a player (Lucas Chevalier, ndlr) who could have suffered a serious injury. The opposing player received only a yellow card. The goalkeeper explained that he could have been forced to end his career, yet here we are. The referee made that decision, which is okay, but the VAR didn’t even suggest reviewing the footage. If I were in Paris’s position, I’d be furious. In discussions with people from Lyon or Lille, I see they share the same outrage. Eventually, we need to reassess how things are managed. This isn’t just about FC Nantes. Refereeing must become more professional. Where are we headed? This is a recurring issue each match. We need clear and straightforward rules. Meetings are useless because it always shows you as the problem. We understand there are mistakes, but some are blatantly obvious.”

This isn’t the first time this season that prominent figures in French football have expressed such strong criticism of officiating. Many club leaders are not shy about voicing their dissatisfaction with a refereeing body they believe struggles not just with errors but also with accountability. OL raised similar concerns after their defeat to PSG earlier this month, a sentiment echoed by LOSC and Olivier Létang for many months. Despite ongoing dialogue between French referees and clubs, the discontent continues unabated, and officiating controversies dominate discussions every weekend—a troubling situation that seems to worsen weekly…