Rennes not varnished by the absence of VAR in the Europa League Conference in Leicester

One day, perhaps, Stade Rennais will return from England without having their heads polluted by contrary refereeing decisions. A year and a half ago, Julien Stéphan’s team saw Henrique Dalbert precipitate the Breton sinking at Chelsea, future winner of the Champions League. The Brazilian side had conceded two penalties and had been expelled on the second (second yellow card) for an involuntary hand sanctioned by a video arbitration then very fussy.

This time the frustration is different. The Bruno Genesio version of the Rouge et Noir didn’t need anyone to scuttle themselves at the end of the game. But a wiser arbitration would have helped him a lot. In the 53rd minute, at the heart of a highlight of the Bretons, on the second time of a free kick taken by Benjamin Bourigeaud, Caglar Soyuncu first touched the ball with a left hand stuck to the body, then he brought the ball back to his goal with a clear movement of the right hand.

This second gesture was not seen by the Israeli referee, Mr. Grinfeld, who therefore did not report anything. In any other European competition, he would have been alerted by his VAR colleagues. But this one does not officiate in the Europa League Conference, so the match followed its course, without recourse for the Rennais. The latter did not seem, on the ground, to dwell on this bad shot.

And the Bretons had the elegance not to attribute their one-night failure to this action. ” I do not know (if there is a penalty)I haven’t seen the footage and I don’t think that’s the most important fact of the game in this match”, answered Bruno Genesio. The Breton coach especially insisted on the “lack of aggressiveness” of his team in the opposing area to explain this setback. He has already proven, with Lyon, that he knows the recipe for winning in England. He knows that at this level, it remains easier, to win, to count on eleven effective players than on the help of a twelfth man dressed in black.