Tiago Santos left the pitch with his head in his hands on Saturday night, and Lille’s worst fears have now been confirmed. The Portuguese full-back has suffered a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee following Amir Richardson’s challenge during the 1-0 Ligue 1 win over Le Havre.
The injury occurred in the 17th minute at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Santos was taken away on a stretcher after the tackle, while Richardson received no card from the match officials.
Quick facts
- Tiago Santos sustained a complete ACL tear in his right knee.
- The injury came during Lille’s 1-0 victory against Le Havre.
- Amir Richardson made the challenge in the 17th minute.
- Santos had previously torn the ACL in his left knee in October 2024.
- Lille have referred the refereeing and VAR handling of the incident to the French Football Federation and the LFP.
It is another brutal setback for the 24-year-old, who spent close to a year out after suffering the same type of injury to his left knee in October 2024. Lille said they would provide Santos with the full human, medical and psychological support required during his recovery.
The club are also challenging the absence of disciplinary action against Richardson. Lille believe the severity of the incident should have prompted a more substantial intervention from the referee or the video officials.
In their statement, Lille pointed to the fact that the tackle was visible live, captured from several camera angles and replayed immediately. The club noted that VAR is able to step in when there is a clear error or a serious missed incident, including a potential direct red card.
“No punishment was given, not even a yellow card,” Lille said as they expressed their frustration over the decision-making surrounding the challenge.
Les Dogues have contacted both the FFF and the LFP to seek an examination of how the on-field refereeing team and VAR assessed the action. They are also considering possible legal routes in an attempt to recover damages linked to the sporting and financial loss of Santos’ absence.
