The shock frozen Geoffroy-Guichard. On Sunday evening, in a high intensity derby, Corentin Tolisso left the lawn on a piping after a tackle of Lucas Stassin. A gesture that could have deserved direct expulsion. However, referee François Letexier, however considered one of the best in the country, did not leave a red card. The Lyon community, still in shock, expressed its misunderstanding in a series of publications on Instagram. “The apologies of Mr. LETEXIER will lead neither pain nor misunderstanding”,
he wrote.
It is not only the physical pain that makes the ex-Bavar resident react, but especially the feeling of arbitrary justice. In a second publication, Tolisso shared an image of the tackle accompanied by a simple “MDR”, heavy with innuendo. The message is clear: for him, the referee missed his duty of protection. And he is not the only one to think so. Antoine Kombouaré, FC Nantes coach, castigated Letexier at a press conference: “Stassin must be excluded, there is not even a discussion. »» An opinion shared by many French football observers.
Tolisso prepares his response: Latexier targeted
This is not the first time that François Letexier has been at the heart of criticism. On several occasions this season, his arbitration has aroused controversy for decisions deemed inconsistent. Too severe on certain harmless actions, blind on others much more dangerous. This time, the consequences are heavy. Tolisso suffers from a knee sprain and could miss the end of the season. Meanwhile, Lucas Stassin was able to continue the match and even score a double.
Angry tolisso, the referee targeted
The debate goes beyond the framework of OL. Kombouaré raised a crucial point: should we preserve the referees like the players? Letexier came out of a quarter -final of the Champions League, an intense chain that could affect his lucidity.
“Even the best must sometimes blow“, Said coach Kanak. This match relaunches the question of the pace imposed on the referees in an overloaded calendar.
The Tolisso case reveals a deeper fracture between the actors of the game and those who arbitrate it. The indignation is real, the injury too. This kind of decision weakens the confidence of players and the public towards the arbitration institution. And if OL was missing the podium of little, there is no doubt that this fact of play will come back to haunt the memories.
