At the Velodrome stadium,
The same feeling shared from Jorge Sampaoli to Jacques Cardoze: anger. And there is reason after the heavy defeat of Olympique de Marseille against Lyon, Sunday evening at the Stade Vélodrome (0-3). Not against their performance, although there is something to complain about, but against the decisions of Antony Gautier, the referee of the meeting. “Today we are very penalized. I am very disappointed. We have seen painful things for us, which we must bear. We have already been penalized in Paris, and again here,” lamented Jorge Sampaoli.
Jacques Cardoze, OM’s communications director, tweeted to deplore the referee’s choices: “A lot of unfavorable decisions against us tonight. And never consultation of the VAR: Penalty not whistled? Off-side ? Fault on Paul Lopez? These unequal treatment from one game to another can only fuel frustration and incomprehension”.
“If it’s a player’s leg, it’s a fault”
The Argentinian coach of OM is not used to commenting on refereeing decisions, yet on Sunday evening he only spoke about that, or almost, at the end of the meeting. Because they clearly changed the face of the match. First by not awarding a penalty to the Marseillais after a hand fault, or rather biceps, by Moussa Dembelé in the Lyon area, after a cross from Gerson (25th). The Var intervened well, but did not judge Mr. Gautier.
Then in the second half, by not whistling a foul on Pau Lopez, on the opening of the Lyonnaise score. Lukeba came to push the ball into the back of the net while the Marseille goalkeeper remained on the ground, after being walked on the arm by Moussa Dembélé, again him (54th).
“I stop the first ball, then he grabs my arm. If it’s a player’s leg, it’s a foul, why isn’t it a foul on me? I don’t know”, remained incredulous Pau Lopez in the mixed zone.
“No, I’m not wrong. I touch the ball, it’s him who comes on me. After that it’s football, there is no fault so there is a goal. It’s part of football, it’s not dancing it’s football, and there are necessarily contacts, ”preferred to philosophize Moussa Dembelé.
“The game changed with Lyon’s first goal”
And it was even Pau Lopez who was finally warned. “I told him look at my arm, and he put me in the box”, did not really understand Spanish, without wanting to get into controversy, or criticize Mr. Gautier. However, by his own admission, “the game changed with Lyon’s first goal”.
An opinion shared by Jorge Sampaoli. “Before the mistakes of the referee, we were better, we had control. Unfortunately we are penalized, we cannot change that. I regret it because our team was superior in the first half. We are better until their first goal, which changed everything even if we tried to continue”, once again regretted Jorge Sampaoli.
“A very difficult week”
But the Marseillais clearly dipped after this opener, conceding two other goals in the second half, to finally lose heavily 3 goals to 0. “We played badly today, in the first half we lost the ball too much. I’m sorry for the fans, it was an important match, but we still have the possibility of finishing 2nd, of reaching the Conference League final. But it was a very difficult week,” said Pau Lopez.
It’s OM’s second defeat this week, three days after having already conceded three goals in Rotterdam, and they clearly have a joker with that of Sunday night at home. The Rennais, 3rd, and the Monegasques, 4th, are only three points away while OM will play Rennes on the penultimate day. But before thinking about the home stretch of the championship, the Marseillais must quickly evacuate the frustration of this defeat. To qualify for the Europa League Conference final on Thursday against Rotterdam. And that, the supporters understood it well seeing how they cheered their players after this defeat against one of the sworn enemies.