Donnarumma, the scandal rebounds!

The images still send chills down your spine. Last December 18, during the advanced match of the 16e day of Ligue 1 between Monaco and PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma had to leave the lawn of the Louis-II stadium after only 17 minutes of play, his face bloody, victim of an involuntary sole from his opponent Wilfried Singo in the face.

While the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff urgently placed staples on the Italian goalkeeper’s wounds, the Monegasque defender was able to return to his place. Without receiving a single yellow card. A very surprising decision on the part of the referee of the match, François Letexier, which provoked a number of reactions.

Mr. Letexier found guilty

The French whistle, considered one of the best in the championship, was all the more criticized as during the Classic between OM and PSG, a few weeks earlier at the Vélodrome stadium, he had expelled the attacking midfielder Marseille Amine Harit for having accidentally wiped his crampons on the chest of Marquinhos.

Did Mr. Letexier make a mistake in not sanctioning the Ivorian international? For many observers, there is no doubt about this. And neither for the French Federation. Three weeks after the events, the technical direction of the FFF refereeing actually considers that the official was wrong by not drawing red on this very dangerous action.

“It’s in continuity, there is nothing”

“ Analyzing the images, the attacker certainly plays the ball, but his action endangers the physical integrity of the goalkeeper, given the sole directly impacting the latter’s face, indicates the DA in its traditional debrief. This situation therefore constitutes a gross error within the meaning of Law 12 (concerning mistakes and incorrectness). »

In the heat of the moment, the referees considered that “it’s a continuation” and that“there is nothing”,

as shown in the images of the exchange between Mr. Letexier and his VAR assistants, broadcast on YouTube.

“It’s completely unintentional. He jumps over and there’s a big contact behindwe can hear. There is no extra movement, he wants to avoid it. He jumps over it, unfortunately, he hits it. The consequences are enormous, of course, but there is nothing we can do. »