The Arbitration Department upheld referee Clément Turpin's decisions in two contentious moments of the Marseille-Le Havre match, clearing him of errors in two potential handball incidents.
Referee decisions reviewed in Marseille-Le Havre match
The Arbitration Department has reviewed two controversial decisions made by referee Clément Turpin during the Marseille-Le Havre match, which ended in a dramatic 4-3 comeback by Le Havre. The decisions were scrutinized due to potential handball incidents that could have changed the match outcome.First incident analyzed in detail
At the 90+5 minute mark, Tochukwu Nnadi touched the ball in the penalty area at the level of the armpit. The referee initially did not award a penalty but later reviewed the incident after consulting with video assistant referees. The Arbitration Department confirmed that there was no clear evidence of the ball contacting the defender's arm, and thus the referee’s decision to not award a penalty was not considered an error.Second incident examined for handball
A few minutes later, Neal Maupay’s hand touched the ball in the penalty area, but the referee did not call a penalty. The Arbitration Department noted that Maupay’s hand was in a natural position and there was no clear movement indicating an intentional touch. Therefore, the contact was not deemed sanctionable under the Laws of the Game.Arbitration Department concludes no errors
The Arbitration Department concluded that neither of the referee’s decisions constituted a manifest error, affirming the match’s outcome as valid. However, Didier Digard, the Le Havre coach, disagreed, stating he believed a handball occurred and that it would have affected the flow of the game.
