Antony Gautier debriefed this Monday the performance of Mathieu Vernice during the 29th day of Ligue 1 match won by Lyon against Brest (4-3). The technical director of refereeing at the FFF, boss of officials, recognized two significant errors at the start of the match and one on the last action.
A crazy match with a nasty aftertaste. Second in Ligue 1, Brest lost valuable points by losing to Lyon this Sunday (4-3) on the 29th day of the season. A shock marked by several contentious arbitration decisions. The day after this meeting and the criticism from the Brest club against Mathieu Vernice, Antony Gautier expressed his feelings on the various controversial situations. Starting with the penalty not whistled for Brest on a hand from Jake O’Brien in his area.
“You have an artificial increase in the surface covered by the body of the Lyon defender, with obviously a defender who takes the risk of touching the ball with his hand and being sanctioned in this situation,” analyzed the technical director of the arbitration at the FFF on the radio France Bleu Breizh Izel. “And so there, the expected decision was a penalty and an intervention from the video assistance if the decision was not taken on the field.”
>> Relive the crazy match between Lyon and Brest (4-3)
OL’s first goal invalid
Brest was therefore, according to the boss of the referees, deprived of a face-to-face between Anthony Lopes and Pierre Lees-Melou. A penalty which could have turned the match to the other side. Especially since a few moments later, on a Rhone counterattack, Corentin Tolisso scored OL’s first goal. All after a free kick obtained by Alexandre Lacazette for a foul by Lilian Brassier… which should not have been whistled since the “General” was in an offside position. Here again, Antony Gautier criticized the decision of Mathieu Vernice and the VAR.
“You actually have the Lyon striker who is in an offside position when the ball is passed forward by one of his teammates,” noted the boss of French referees on local radio. “The expected decision was to sanction the attacker’s offside position.”
Bizot should have taken red
Confirming that he had spoken during the day with Grégoy Lorenzi, sports director of Stade Brestois, Antony Gautier then validated the double expulsion of Nicolas Tagliafico and Pierre Lees-Melou for a small clash. But according to the leader of the FFF, Brest also benefited from favorable errors in this match. A hand whistled against Nemanja Matic which should not have been, and ultimately of no great importance. Above all, and it could change the end of the Bretons’ season: Marco Bizot should not have finished the match.
If Brendan Chardonnet managed to remove the ball just before Alexandre Lacazette, the Dutch goalkeeper violently collided with the Gones attacker. For his knee at chest height and without any contact with the ball, Marco Bizot therefore made a mistake. A logical penalty for Antony Gautier since “the contact is proven”. However, and it is not a double punishment since the fault is gross in his eyes, the Brest goalkeeper should have been sent off and not received a simple warning.
“A red card since there is clearly a danger to the physical integrity of the Lyon player,” finally judged the boss of the French arbitration. A happy decision for Brest which will be able to count on its goalkeeper for the next decisive matches in Ligue 1 and in particular during the next two days against Monaco and Rennes.