The goal that nobody could confirm
Goal-line technology exists to end arguments. In Auxerre’s 1-1 draw with Le Mans on Sunday, it started one.
The incident came in the 48th minute. A cross from the right found Lucas Buades at the near post and his header went toward goal, where Paul Nardi dropped to his line and got a hand to it. The ball ended up trapped under the goalkeeper’s arm. Referee Willy Delajod’s watch vibrated, which signals that the ball crossed the line, and the goal was given.
The video assistants then called the referee over for a possible clear and obvious error, without a public explanation. Despite plenty of replay angles, nothing settled whether the ball had fully crossed. The original decision stood, according to RMC Sport.
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Still points to a technical failure
Auxerre coach Will Still was furious afterwards. He claimed that not every official’s watch alerted at the same moment, and that one may not have alerted at all. By his account, two of the four watches stayed silent, and officials later told him the system had suffered an unprecedented computer problem. Without a clear enough camera angle to overrule the technology, he said, the referees kept the goal.
Nardi was more measured. He felt strongly that the ball had not crossed, but added that if the system said goal, then it was a goal. A 3D simulation shown by Ligue 1+ appears to support the call.
On Monday the club went public. In a statement, Auxerre described a failure with major consequences, reminded everyone that the technology costs the league around 1.4 million euros a year, and asked the league and the refereeing directorate for clear answers, concrete guarantees and, if needed, immediate corrective measures. As of Monday morning, the officials had not published any explanation.
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