Last Sunday, AS Saint-Étienne delivered a draw against Stade Brestois 29 on the field of Geoffroy Guichard, with a final score of 3-3. However, a major incident during the meeting revived a recurring debate about the impartiality of the arbitral body. A controversial decision, that of the failure to agree to a penalty following a flagrant fault committed on Irvin Cardona in the Brest area at the 87th minute, aroused the outrage of the Stéphanois players and the present audience, thus fuelling the already palpable frustrations within the club.

This decision is part of a series of adverse arbitral incidents that marked the AS Saint-Étienne season. Decisions deemed wrong, such as the lack of yellow cardboard following Machado’s sole on Mason, or the lack of sanction for Ojediran’s dangerous contact with Wadji, have been pointed out. Similarly, a litigious penalty awarded in the match against Angers, as well as an unsanctioned fault of James on Bouchouri and the oblivion of a clear penalty on Stassin against Rennes, contributed to the loss of harmful points. The contested expulsion of Dylan Batubinsika during the match against Lille, in the absence of tangible evidence of contact, also weakened the team.

The consequences of these controversial arbitration decisions weigh heavily on the AS Saint-Étienne season, jeopardizing the fight for retention in League 1. The technical staff and the players regularly express their dissatisfaction and demand greater fairness in the application of the rules. Aware of the accumulated disadvantages, the Stéphanois will have to redouble their ardour and determination on the ground in order to compensate for these injustices and to hope for a favourable outcome for the remainder of the season.