Lille president Olivier Létang has been fined €20,000 after his furious reaction to the 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain on 28 August, a punishment that has drawn a sharp response from France’s elite referees.
The Ligue 1 news
The Ligue 1 disciplinary commission handed Létang the financial penalty on Wednesday. He had faced the possibility of a ban of up to nine months after his conduct following Lille’s late concession against PSG.
SAFE, the union representing elite French football referees, has challenged what it considers a notably lenient outcome. In a statement published on Thursday 17 September, the organisation said it felt compelled to raise the alarm despite not usually commenting on disciplinary rulings.
The union questioned whether the sanction could carry sufficient weight, particularly after Létang’s comments and actions were seen as casting doubt on an official’s neutrality.
SAFE said the decision appeared to suggest that, for €20,000, it was possible to challenge an official’s impartiality or effectively reject their authority, describing that as profound disrespect towards male and female referees.
The fine comes under a revised approach by the LFP disciplinary commission. For club executives, the commission is now expected to favour substantial financial penalties over lengthy suspensions, which have not always proved effective.
