Lyon Shut Down Over PSG Protests As Ligue 1 Chief Backs Referees On Controversial Decisions

Ligue 1 referee chief Amaury Delerue has defended the controversial decisions made by both on-field and VAR officials during Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-2 win over Lyon. The defeat, sealed in the final moments, left Lyon players and staff furious, but Delerue insisted that all key decisions were made correctly.

Lyon Frustrated By Controversial Decisions

Lyon were incensed after a series of calls went against them in their clash with PSG. In the 27th minute, Ilia Zabarnyi’s apparent handball in the box went unpunished. Shortly after, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal stood despite Vitinha’s tackle from behind on Tanner Tessmann.

The controversy continued before half-time when a challenge by Kang-in Lee on Nicolas Tagliafico inside the PSG box was ignored. The tension peaked when Tagliafico was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Vitinha, a decision upheld by VAR. Lyon players and staff reacted with outrage.

Assistant coach Jorge Maciel was particularly vocal post-match, accusing the officials of favoring PSG. “I think there are 59,000 people in the stadium, and only four of them didn’t see the fouls we analysed,” Maciel said. “When it happens with the arrogance of not even having the opportunity to discuss it, we don’t understand it.” He also suggested PSG didn’t need to “play with 16 men” to win.

Ligue 1 Chief Backs Referees

In response, Amaury Delerue defended the referees in an interview with L’Equipe. He explained that no handball was called on Zabarnyi because the VAR review followed IFAB protocol, and none of the angles confirmed a clear penalty.

Delerue also clarified Lee’s challenge on Tagliafico, stating that it constituted natural contact that did not prevent the player from playing the ball and was not punishable under the laws of the game.

On the controversial goal by Kvaratskhelia after Vitinha’s foul on Tessman, Delerue acknowledged that the situation was complex. “The contact affected Tessman’s ability to maintain control of the ball,” he said. “It’s a grey area, which is why the VAR’s decision not to challenge the central referee is understandable.”

Match Summary

PSG, despite missing key players including Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Nuno Mendes, took an early lead through Warren Zaire-Emery. Lyon equalised via Moreira, but Kvaratskhelia restored PSG’s advantage. Ainsley Maitland-Niles then made it 2-2, before Joao Neves scored a late winner from a corner, giving Luis Enrique’s side a crucial victory.

The result pushed PSG back to the top of the Ligue 1 table, while Lyon slipped to seventh, intensifying the debate over refereeing consistency in the French top flight.

Stay tuned to Sports Market International for all Ligue 1 updates, match analyses, and referee controversies.