The big premiere was scheduled for this Saturday for the final of the Women’s French Cup between PSG and Fleury in Montpellier. That of a first test of the referees’ sound system. The central referee Émeline Rochebilière had a microphone and her VAR assistant (video assistance to refereeing) Benoît Millot was likely to open it when explaining his decision, and not in other cases. The experiment concerned the 4 cases that exist in the video assistance protocol: goals scored, direct exclusions, penalty situations and possible identity errors. As a viewer, we would have liked to witness a contentious situation verified by VAR and commented on live during this final. But, we will have to wait because there was none.
During a clear match won by PSG in front of Fleury (1-0), the central referee Émeline Rochebilière, in fact, produced a perfect performance, whistle in hand. She made the right decisions like when the Parisian Thiniba Samoura, guilty of a shirt pulling on Rosemonde Kouassi, received her 2nd warning synonymous with expulsion in the second half. Goal Line Technology, used for the first time during a women’s football match, did not help the referee either since Martens’ goal at the end of the match shook Manon Heil’s net.
“Arbitration has nothing to hide”
Before the final, Antony Gautier, recently retained until the end of the season with a triple hat as boss of French arbitration at the LFP, at the FFF and as manager of the VAR, had justified the process validated by Ifab (in charge of the laws of the game). “This will provide transparency and understanding of the decisions taken by officials,” he said. Everyone always accepts a little more what they understand and the fact of being able to communicate around the decisions taken with video assistance in refereeing is an element which can be, in my opinion, beneficial for the public, for the spectators in the stadiums, for television viewers, because it is a process of transparency. »
The referees’ sound system should be extended to Ligue 1 from next season. “We want to break down the barriers around arbitration which has nothing to hide,” says Gautier. Hearing the referee provide public explanations on a decision that impacts the progress of a match, I am convinced that it can only be beneficial for those who follow this match. » Before next season, three new tests will take place during the D1 Arkéma play-offs, on May 12 and 19, as well as during the men’s French Cup final, between PSG and Lyon, on May 25. next in Lille. With perhaps the opportunity to listen to a first exchange between the central referee and his VAR assistant.
