The ball rolled away from Paul Nardi’s left hand, disappeared briefly beneath his arm and left Auxerre staring at a decision that could shape more than one point. Lucas Buades’ second-half equaliser for Le Mans stood after goal-line technology alerted referee Willy Delajod, but the 1-1 Ligue 1 draw has since become the centre of a serious dispute over the system itself.
Auxerre have demanded explanations after what they describe as an unacceptable technical failure, while head coach Will Still insisted the ball did not cross the line during the 48th-minute incident.
Buades goal survives video review
Le Mans found their equaliser when Bretelle moved into space on the right side of the penalty area and delivered a low cross towards the near post. Buades arrived first and headed towards goal.
Nardi reacted on his line, getting down quickly to push the ball with his left hand. The goalkeeper then appeared to gather it after it moved under his armpit. Delajod’s watch vibrated, however, signalling that the ball had crossed the line, and the goal was awarded.
The decision was subsequently checked by VAR for a possible clear error. Replays from the available camera angles did not provide conclusive evidence to overturn the original call, so Buades’ goal remained on the scoreboard.
A 3D simulation shown on Ligue 1+ also appeared to indicate that the whole ball had crossed the line.
Still alleges computer problem
Still was furious after the final whistle and said the goal-line system had not functioned consistently across the officiating team.
“Not every watch went off at the same time, and one may not have gone off at all,” the Auxerre coach said. He claimed VAR lacked an angle sufficiently clear to challenge the information received by the referee’s watch.
Still later said that two of the four watches used by the match officials had not sounded. He said officials had told him there had been a computer problem, which he described as unprecedented.
The former Reims coach also maintained that the images displayed after the incident showed Nardi’s glove rather than proof that the ball had entered the goal. “It is impossible that the ball was in,” he said.
Nardi, at the heart of the disputed sequence, said he felt “300%” certain that there was no goal. Yet the goalkeeper accepted the formal decision, adding that if the goal-line system registered a goal, then it had to be treated as one.
Auxerre seek answers from league authorities
Goal-line technology was introduced in 2012 to offer a definitive answer on whether a ball has fully crossed the line. Its role is intended to be binary: goal or no goal.
Auxerre said in a statement on Monday that a failure of the technology had carried major consequences for the match. The club argued that the malfunction had influenced the outcome by allowing the disputed goal.
The Burgundy side also highlighted the cost of the system, put at around €1.4 million per year for the LFP, and called for clear answers from the league and the refereeing department.
Auxerre want concrete assurances and, if required, immediate corrective action to prevent a similar episode. No official explanation has yet been issued for why VAR was asked to review a decision initially delivered by goal-line technology, or for the alleged problems with the officials’ watches.
