In a stifling encounter between two hard-pressed teams, the clash of fear between ESTAC and Olympique de Marseille (0-2) was marked from the first minutes by a disputed play. An arbitration decision which undoubtedly avoided another nightmarish evening for the Marseille players and inevitably sparked debate.
The match had started barely ten minutes ago when Marseille midfielder Himad Abdelli arrived launched into the Trojan penalty area. In his momentum, the Olympian raised his foot to a dangerous height and collided with Iron Gomis in the face. More fear than harm, however, for the ESTAC player who quickly got up. A boon for the Algerian international
Because against all expectations, the referee of the match, Mr. Guillaume Paradis, opted for leniency: no red card, nor even yellow card, but a simple verbal warning. An indulgence that raises questions, while the physical commitment could have cost OM dearly.
“For me, it’s red”: Adil Rami categorical
Invited to analyze the sequence on the Ligue 1+ plateau, former defender Adil Rami did not hide his surprise at the choice of the refereeing body. For the former world champion, the action was the major turning point of the game. “He would have deserved the red card. I really thought he was going to bring out the red if we trust the logic of the referees we have around the world. Whether he saw it or not, it’s foot in the air and it hits the face. Afterwards, there is the good sense of the referee who avoids killing the match with a red, but for me, it is red,” said the former Marseillais.
If the referee’s leniency made it possible to maintain the numerical balance at 11 against 11, it clearly spared Himad Abdelli, who would later become one of the key men in Marseille’s victory by sealing the score from the penalty spot in the 90th + 8 minute.
On the Trojan side, the pill is bitter after this fourth defeat in a row, even if the bitterness focuses mainly on the lack of offensive efficiency rather than on the refereeing. Questioned at the Ligue 1+ microphone, striker Jérémy Le Douaron did not even mention this sequence. “A lot of frustration. We wanted to break this series of three defeats, we did not succeed in doing so. We had a more than decent first period but the goal at the start of the second hurt us. »
