It’s an image that froze Groupama Stadium. In the 67th minute of Lyon-Strasbourg (2-1), Malick Fofana collapsed after a violent tackle from Ismaël Doukouré. The young Belgian winger’s ankle, stuck in the ground, was rotating worryingly. The referee, initially lenient, ended up drawing red after the intervention of the VAR. The incident has since taken a major disciplinary turn: this Thursday, the LFP ruled. Doukouré receives four matches of firm suspension. A verdict that makes many people cringe.
Doukouré gets away with four matches, Fofana absent for three months
The Strasbourg defender, sent off last Sunday, will therefore miss the matches against Rennes, Lille and Lens, after having already served an automatic match against Auxerre. On the other hand, Malick Fofana will not play again before the end of January. Examinations confirmed a serious sprain of the right ankle with ligament damage and possible surgery. Three months of absence minimum for a player who had just established himself in the Lyon eleven. The contrast is glaring: one month of exclusion for the attacker, twelve weeks of unavailability for the victim.
On social networks, Lyon supporters cried foul. In the bays, the players also had difficulty hiding their indignation. Corentin Tolisso spoke of “shock” and “anger for an exemplary teammate”. Even Jorge Maciel, member of the staff, did not mince his words : “We do not sanction the seriousness of the consequences, and that is a real problem.” In Strasbourg, the position remained more measured. Coach Liam Rosenior, who initially defended Doukouré, walked back his comments, admitting “a hot reaction” and apologizing.
A difficult decision to understand
According to the FFF disciplinary scale, a fault resulting in a serious injury can result in a suspension of up to twelve matches. In comparison, the Doukouré case appears to be an anomaly. Especially since similar precedents have already led to much heavier sanctions: in 2014, a Montpellier player was sentenced to twelve matches for a fracture of his tibia. In Ligue 1, however, leniency remains the norm, to the great dismay of injured clubs.
This case raises a recurring question: does the sporting discipline take sufficient account of the real damage caused to victims? If Doukouré did not act with intent to injure, the disproportion between the sanction imposed and the consequences for Fofana is shocking. The Lyonnais will miss decisive months, while his tormentor will return to the field at the end of November. A glaring imbalance, which once again poses the problem of sporting justice more concerned with regulations than with fairness.
