The FFF condemns the aggression of Assistant Arbitrator Mehdi Rahmouni after the derby Saint-Étienne - Lyon

A serious incident marked the end of the first period of the derby between AS Saint-Étienne and Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. A supporter launched a projectile that hit the head of the assistant referee, Mehdi Rahmouni. The referee, accompanied by François Letexier, had to interrupt the game for almost 45 minutes before the match could resume.

The French Football Federation (FFF) reacted quickly, strongly condemning this intolerable aggression and expressing its solidarity with Mehdi Rahmouni. The FFF stresses the importance of respecting the physical and moral integrity of the referees, calling on all football players to adopt ethical and responsible behaviour.

The AS Saint-Étienne worked with the authorities to identify the author of the projectile. A man was arrested and taken into custody after being spotted at the exit of the stadium. The Stéphanois club announced that it would file a complaint against this individual and take the most severe sanctions.

The incident occurred while the arbitral body had already suffered another attack during the Quevilly Rouen Métropole - FC Rouen match in National.

In parallel, OL faced another problematic situation: a fault committed by Lucas Stassin on Corentin Tolisso, which had initially been sanctioned by a red card before finally being cancelled by François Letexier.

The FFF is now paving the way for potential sanctions for AS Saint-Étienne, with reference to the sanctions already applied to OL after a bottle throw on Dimitri Payet in 2023. Sanctions ranging from closing the gallery to a closed game or even withdrawing points are possible.