Opposed to OGC Nice, the 16th in Ligue 1, in the first leg play-off on Tuesday evening at Geoffroy-Guichard, AS Saint-Etienne thought for a few seconds of obtaining a penalty to open the score against the Aiglons, at the end of the first period. Mr. Benoît Bastien, the referee of the match, was plunged into a very delicate situation by his two video assistants, MM. Bastien Dechepy and Julien Schmitt.
On an opening from Lucas Stassin, the young Luan Gadegbeku, 19-year-old midfielder, controlled the ball in the area and was pushed by Kojo Peprah Oppong. Mr. Bastien whistled a free kick on the edge of the area (35th). However, the Greens have never executed this eccentric free kick.
Mr. Bastien does not give a penalty
The VAR referees therefore called their central office to view the images, as Oppong’s foul was committed inside the area. The Ghanaian defender in fact walks on the heel of the Saint-Etienne player, who collapsed on the line. Despite Gadegbeku’s slow motion and pain, Mr. Bastien returned to the field to bring together the two captains, Morgan Sanson and Gautier Larsonneur, and inform them that there was no penalty, to the great displeasure of the Saint-Etienne goalkeeper (37th).
Since Mr. Bastien decided that there was no foul, he did not maintain the free kick in favor of ASSE. He then played a ball on the ground. In the laws of the game updated by the International Board, the referee must choose which team to give the ball back to. The ball on the ground with two opponents fighting for it no longer exists. The ball was therefore placed at the feet of Zuriko Davitashvili without Jonathan Clauss being able to intervene and the Georgian winger then played back.
