The latest dispute between Lille president Olivier Létang and French refereeing authorities has ended not with a suspension, but with a clean break. After receiving a €20,000 fine, Létang has told the leading figures of the game that he will no longer attend meetings concerning officiating.
A fine after the PSG draw
- Lille drew 2-2 with Paris Saint-Germain on 28 August, with Paris scoring their equaliser after the indicated stoppage time had elapsed.
- Létang reacted angrily to the refereeing after the match, adding another chapter to his long-running criticism of officials.
- The National Ethics Council referred the matter to the LFP disciplinary commission. It cited both Létang’s post-match comments and a series of messages sent to Anthony Gautier, the national refereeing director, with copies forwarded to senior officials at the French Football Federation and LFP.
- The council considered some of those communications aggressive and said the Lille president, who had previously been punished over comparable incidents, had failed to meet the standards of respect and exemplary conduct required by football’s ethics charter.
- On 16 September 2026, the LFP disciplinary commission imposed a €20,000 penalty. Létang was not banned from carrying out his duties.
Létang ends contact with refereeing department
Rather than draw a line under the matter, Létang wrote to Gautier after the ruling, copying in LFP president Vincent Labrune and French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo.
In the letter, he said the disciplinary sanction had been severe despite what he described as detailed explanations and supporting documents submitted in his defence.
Létang also pointed to correspondence he had sent on 14 September concerning what he regarded as serious incidents during Lille’s match against ESTAC Troyes. He said those messages had received no response and criticised the refereeing department’s public handling of the events.
He contrasted that response with the way the Premier League’s refereeing leadership addressed an issue during the same weekend, praising the English model for its speed, openness and transparency.
“We are wasting our time”
The Lille chairman said he believed his work and proposals to improve French football were not being listened to. In his view, discussions had taken place without meaningful opposing debate and lacked both transparency and efficiency.
“The time spent, the efforts made and the ideas I have put forward do not seem to be heard,” Létang wrote. “These exchanges do not offer a genuine contradictory debate, and they lack transparency and effectiveness. It leaves me personally exposed and gives me the feeling that we are wasting our time.”
He added that there was still “so much to do” for the game, but said he had decided, reluctantly and with immediate effect, not to take part in meetings about refereeing or in any meeting involving members of the refereeing department.
