By Ahmed Abdelsalam
An apparent "ghost goal" scored by Le Mans in a Ligue 1 match against Auxerre has been ruled legitimate by the French refereeing body, the Arbitration Directorate, despite strong protests from Auxerre manager Will Still.
Goal-line technology signals goal
During the 1-1 draw, Le Mans took the lead through a header from Lucas Buades. Auxerre goalkeeper Paul Nardi appeared to stop the ball on the goal line, but referee Willy Delajod received a signal from the goal-line technology system indicating the ball had fully crossed the line. The VAR officials, Cyril Gringore and Cedric Dos Santos, reviewed the footage and found no evidence to contradict the technology's signal.
Still insists ball did not cross line
Still argued repeatedly after the match that television replays, particularly an angle on the Ligue 1+ streaming service, showed Nardi's gloved hand behind the line, not the ball. "It's his glove, I swear to you it's his glove on this play," Still said. "It's impossible that this ball has entered the goal."
Arbitration Directorate upholds decision
The Arbitration Directorate stated that the referee's watch vibrated to indicate a goal, and the VAR review could not identify anything contradicting the signal. The referee also consulted pitchside footage but could not definitively establish that the ball had not crossed the line. The goal decision therefore stands.
