.jpg)
2 hours ago
3 ARTICLE AD
There was electricity in the air, Tuesday evening, during the last minutes of the round of 16 of the Coupe de France between Olympique de Marseille and LOSC (1-1, 3-4 tab). The match was notably marked by strong tensions involving Roberto De Zerbi, Mehdi Benatia, the president of Lille Olivier Létang and the refereeing body.
“Explain to me why the president of Lille goes down on the field to speak with the fourth referee, for the second time here because he did it in L1?,” said the Italian technician. The President of the Republic could do it, but the president of a club? His place is in the stands and if no one says something to him, I’ll tell him. I didn’t see Pablo Longoria speaking with the fourth official. Many things are strange and I have difficulty understanding them. In thirty years of football, I had never seen a club president come down to speak with representatives of the refereeing body.”
Létang responds to De Zerbi
While Mehdi Benatia also castigated the behavior of Mr. Turpin and the attitude of Olivier Létang, the Lille president retorted in equally blunt terms.
“What he said at the press conference (De Zerbi, editor’s note)? That doesn’t interest me, that. I didn’t speak to him, I didn’t speak to him. So, let him do his job as a coach and then everything will be fine… I simply mentioned the fact that Mr. Turpin had played 25 seconds more, in addition to added time. And so, it ended very well with the fourth referee Mr. Stinat. So I don’t see why the OM coach came to talk to me, because I wasn’t talking to him at all”. Atmosphere…
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
