Marseille’s president, Pablo Longoria, ignited a firestorm after Olympique de Marseille’s 3-0 loss to auxerre. Longoria, incensed by the outcome, accused French referees of corruption. This sparked an immediate and forceful response from the Syndicate of Football Referees (SAFE).
SAFE, the union representing elite referees, swiftly issued a statement condemning Longoria’s ”scandalous comments.” They argued that losing a match doesn’t justify impugning the integrity of referees, impacting both professional and amateur levels of play.
The union further announced plans to file defamation complaints against Longoria and anyone spreading hateful messages or threats directed at referees. They also initiated a formal complaint with the National Ethics Committee.
SAFE Demands Restraint
Longoria’s outburst wasn’t the only criticism leveled at the officiating. Fabrizio Ravanelli, a sports advisor, described referee Jérémy Stinat’s performance as “scandalous,” asserting that Stinat made questionable decisions throughout the match.
Marseille’s complaints centered on a controversial second yellow card shown to Derek Cornelius, leading to his dismissal, and a penalty call not awarded for a perceived foul on Quentin Merlin. Players,however,attributed the loss to their own subpar performance.
Prior to the match, OM publicly voiced concerns about Stinat’s appointment. He had previously officiated a French Cup match against Lille, a game that resulted in a three-month suspension for OM’s director of football, Mehdi Benatia.
In a final statement, SAFE urged club presidents to exercise greater restraint and obligation, cautioning against the easy temptation to blame referees for all shortcomings.
