big tensions in Caen and Ajaccio after refused goals
Four expelled in Caen, two in Ajaccio: the evening of Ligue 2, this Tuesday, was marked by refused goals and many red cards for protest.
After the excesses between Lens and Lille, last weekend in Ligue 1, French football could not count on Ligue 2 to improve its image. The reception of Dijon by Caen (0-1) was marked on Tuesday by great tensions on the lawn, after the dispute of an arbitration decision, which resulted in four red cards. A situation similar to that which arose during Ajaccio-Niort (0-0), a little earlier.
The most contentious action came at the very end of the match, as Caen, led 0-1, pushed to come back. A strike from Mehdi Chahiri then seems to cross the line, before being stopped by Baptiste Reynet, the Dijon goalkeeper. Benefiting neither from Goal Line Technology nor from video refereeing, the referee did not grant the equalizer, causing the anger of the Normans, players and staff included.
Pickeu expelled
Furious, Olivier Pickeu, the president of Stade Malherbe, then entered the field to express his anger towards the referee. In the somewhat confused melee that followed, the man in black then drew two red cards in quick succession, in the direction of the manager, then the club’s coach, Stéphane Moulin. Conversely, Patrice Garande, his counterpart from Dijon, went to grab some of his players by the neck to tell them to calm down.
A few minutes earlier, the Caennais Ali Abdi had already received a second yellow card for simulation, in the 75th minute, after a first goal refused. For having complained for the first time against the referee, the deputy Serge Le Dizet had also taken a red card. In total, four Normans, including players and staff, were expelled.
Moulin claims the VAR in Ligue 2
“I would like to ask the LFP that they establish the VAR in Ligue 2, rebelled Stéphane Moulin, the coach of Caen, on BeIN Sports. There are three penalties and a goal that is entered. […] The 4th referee asked Mr Angoula to expel me. I just said “there is but” four times. When I make mistakes, I recognize it. In Ajaccio, it deserves it. Tonight, I don’t understand at all. “
The situation looked like two drops of water to that which had arisen in Ajaccio, a few minutes earlier. While the score was still goalless in their match against Niort, the Corsicans thought to open the scoring in the 68th on a header from Clément Vidal, but were refused the goal, even if the ball seemed to have crossed the line. The bench then seized its anger, forcing the referee to expel coach Olivier Pantaloni and goalkeeper coach Thierry Debès.
The match was then interrupted for five minutes after a lighter was thrown onto the pitch by a spectator at the François-Coty stadium, before resuming its course in a tense atmosphere.