Lyon Takes Aim at Refereeing Decisions Against PSG!

An expected clash of titans! This Sunday, Lyon faced PSG in the final match of the 12th round of Ligue 1. A tense game between two teams with significant stakes in the standings, as Lyon aimed to stay close to the leaders while PSG sought to reclaim their top position. Ultimately, this showdown lived up to expectations. In a remarkable atmosphere, both teams matched each other blow for blow. However, it was PSG that delivered the final blow to their opponents. In the last corner, Joao Neves soared above everyone else to secure a valuable victory for Luis Enrique’s side (2-3).

Maciel Frustrated

Lyon has much to feel frustrated about. Shy at the start and anxious at the end, Tanner Tessmann’s teammates managed to compete well with their Parisian rivals in this match. They were superior in the last quarter-hour, frequently creating chances to score a third goal, yet fell apart at the worst moment. This disappointing conclusion irritated the Lyon locker room. Aware of missing out on a prestigious victory, Lyon reflected on what did not work well during this encounter. Among their complaints, the refereeing was a primary concern. Jorge Maciel, Paulo Fonseca’s assistant, was visibly angry right from the final whistle and voiced his frustrations to Ligue 1+.

“Analyzing refereeing every weekend in all stadiums across the country will be difficult. It’s up to us to put in the work with our team, and we are very proud of the effort we made. I think there are 59,000 people in the stadium, and only four didn’t notice the fouls we analyzed. We don’t even need to look at replays. When it goes one way, we don’t understand it. When it’s dealt with arrogantly, without even the chance to discuss it, we don’t get it. We see Nico (Tagliafico), and he deserved a red. But how many fouls did Afonso (Moreira) suffer? They didn’t receive cards. I think they’re the best team in Europe. They don’t need to play with 16 players, including VAR, against a team that played on Thursday, which prepared well and put on a good match. We are proud, and I believe the stadium can be proud of the spectacle.”

Tolisso Upset

Similarly, Corentin Tolisso, who refrained from expressing everything on his mind to avoid going overboard, was fuming in the mixed zone. “It’s utterly frustrating to concede a goal like that at the end. We played a good match, and we will remember that. Regarding the refereeing, I haven’t reviewed all the footage. But we need to improve refereeing in general because there are mistakes every weekend. I saw Monaco’s red card; it’s ridiculous, while Khalis Merah at Rennes suffered a harsh challenge, and there was nothing. We don’t understand everything happening; there needs to be more dialogue. We were explained things at the beginning of the year, but that’s not what’s being applied. This season, we’re paying dearly for the refereeing standard.”

Matthieu Louis-Jean also expressed his annoyance. “I want to start by genuinely congratulating the team. We saw a beautiful face of Olympique Lyonnais tonight. We are very proud of our team’s performance. The coach also did a great job. The team posed problems for PSG. Tonight, there is extreme disappointment because we believe there were significant fouls. Again, we are in total confusion… Listen, there was a penalty from Zabarnyi. There was a clear handball, in my opinion, we saw the replays. On Tanner Tessmann, there was a foul; he touched his knee. It’s obvious. At some point, I don’t know what we need to do. We tried everything. We discussed. We communicated with them. We even went to see them. But it continues. We don’t understand. There is a real problem with consistency in refereeing. But we repeat this every weekend. It’s not just us. I watched the Monaco – Lens match on Saturday.”

MLJ Critiques Referee Bastien

The Lyon technical director added: “There was a red card for Monaco that is incomprehensible. At some point, we need to ask questions. We need to sit down at a table and think about our refereeing. Because it’s not just us every weekend. I believe every Ligue 1 team thinks there are issues. Once again, I feel confused. What should we do? What needs to happen to have fair refereeing every weekend in Ligue 1?… We’ve experienced events in the past. For example, after the Rennes match, we would probably have gained extra points. And again tonight, Monsieur Bastien’s refereeing was a disaster… No, I didn’t see the referees after the match. They never say anything. Monday will start without any problem.”

MLJ, who rarely complains about refereeing, concluded: “It’s starting to be too much. Once again, what can we do? What should we do? We’ve tried everything. We attempted discussions; we approached them. They explain things to us. And now, it’s starting to be a lot. A lot for us. We are fighting with our means. It’s not easy. We don’t have a large squad, yet we are dealt red cards again. And when I see the last match in Strasbourg, it took five minutes to send off a Strasbourg player for a brutal foul on Malick Fofana, etc. That’s what I don’t understand. Why, during Tessmann’s foul, did the VAR not call Mr. Bastien? It’s complete confusion given the refereeing tonight.” The message is clear…