A disciplinary case involving Ligue 1 referee Abdelatif Kherradji has been closed by the French Football Federation, clearing the way for the 40-year-old to move towards a return to officiating duties.
Key takeaways
- The FFF disciplinary council decided it did not have jurisdiction over the case and took no further action.
- Kherradji received a six-month suspended prison sentence on 19 August in a domestic violence case.
- He has appealed the criminal ruling, meaning he remains presumed innocent while that appeal is pending.
- The referee is expected to undergo physical testing at the next Ligue 1 officials’ gathering in early October.
- His legal team believes he could return to the pitch shortly afterwards.
Federation rules limit disciplinary scope
The matter had been referred to the FFF disciplinary council around a month ago by the federation’s national ethics commission. It concerned Kherradji’s conviction, but the council ruled at its Thursday morning meeting that it was not competent to examine the alleged conduct under its own regulations.
Its decision rests on Article 2.2 of the FFF disciplinary code, which defines the extent of the federation’s disciplinary authority. The provision applies to acts committed during matches organised or authorised by football bodies, whether inside or outside a sporting venue, as well as conduct linked to those fixtures or to football more generally.
Kherradji’s lawyers, Eric Borghini and Bruno Rebstock, argued that the events at issue did not fall within that football-related remit. Borghini, who is also president of the Mediterranean Football League and a former head of the federal referees’ commission, said the defence was pleased by the outcome.
Return depends on October fitness tests
“We are happy for our client, who will return to the field very quickly after completing the physical tests at the next gathering of Ligue 1 referees at the start of October,” Borghini said.
The legal team is still waiting to receive the disciplinary council’s detailed reasoning. Kherradji’s potential resumption of Ligue 1 appointments will first depend on him passing the required physical assessments at the October referees’ camp.
