“You have to judge the whole performance.
Joël Quiniou repeated it to us several times.
The former international referee does not want to throw the stone at Szymon Marciniak who led the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.
“It's a game with great responsibility.
We cannot say that the referee influenced the match on one side or the other, ”says the referee who refereed 8 World Cup matches during his career.
In short, according to him: “There is no big controversy, but some game facts at 50-50.
Finally, no one can take refuge behind the referee to say that he has lost.
To fully understand, we reviewed some decisive actions of the meeting.
Romero's nudge on Lloris
Hugo Lloris received a nudge from Cristiano Romero in the first half.
AFP/Jewel Samad
In the 9th minute, in an aerial duel, Cristian Romero violently collided with Hugo Lloris, his teammate at Tottenham and evening opponent.
In slow motion, the Tottenham defender has a movement of the left elbow, which seems voluntary, in the belly of the doorman of the Blues.
Visibly out of breath, the most capped player in the history of the France team will take almost several tens of seconds before getting up after the intervention of the trainers.
Szymon Marciniak won't even show the yellow card.
The opinion of Joël Quiniou:
“We cannot consider this as a clear attack.
It is an excess of commitment, guilty of a free kick.
It is also necessary to think about the appreciation of the referee.
He considered that Lloris ended up getting up and that a simple call to order was enough.
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Dembele's fault on Di Maria
In the 21st minute, Angel Di Maria clears Ousmane Dembele on the left side before entering the box.
In the aftermath, the Argentine winger collapses visibly unbalanced in his back by the FC Barcelona striker.
Referee Szymon Marciniak did not hesitate for a second and pointed to the penalty spot.
There is, a priori, no intervention of the VAR.
Lionel Messi can take his penalty and open the scoring (1-0).
The opinion of Joël Quiniou:
“What is important is that Di Maria voluntarily slows down his race in front of Dembélé.
He is slightly unbalanced in the back and inevitably, the Argentine striker falls.
The penalty is a little harsh.
It is played on details especially since the VAR did not call the referee to tell him that there was a potential manifest error, but the referee did not ask the VAR either.
In these kinds of matches, he could have gone to consult the video to be 100% sure of himself.
In any case, there is no scandal, but it is matter for discussion.
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No yellow cards in the first half
It took until the 7th minute of added time in the first half for Enzo Fernandez to be the first Argentine to receive a booking in this final.
However, the Albiceleste committed 13 faults in the first period, and not the least.
In the viewfinder, Rodrigo De Paul and Cristiano Romero, both very aggressive, even finished the meeting without taking yellow.
The opinion of Joël Quiniou:
“There were rough interventions from the Argentinians.
Some would have deserved a yellow card, but we must not forget some very borderline French faults.
The referee wanted to show pedagogy.
Except that in this kind of encounter, the yellow card could have been useful.
We had to keep control of the game and the players.
Nor can we say that there were fouls or a succession of fouls that deserved more than a yellow.
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Otamendi's fault on Kolo Muani
In the 78th minute, Randal Kolo Muani, in a duel with Nicolas Otamendi, passed the Argentine defender.
Hand on the shoulder, contact at the level of the legs, the player of Benfica Lisbon commits, without a doubt, a fault on the striker of the Blues, author of a remarkable entry.
But should Otamendi have, by denying a goal opportunity, received a red card?
The Argentinian defender didn't even receive a yellow card from Szymon Marciniak.
The opinion of Joël Quiniou:
"We must check Law 12 which echoes the red card and this notion of double penalty: if a player commits a fault against an opponent to annihilate a clear goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty, the offending player is warned if he tried to play the ball;
in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, shooting or pushing, no chance to play the ball, etc.), the offending player should be sent off.
In short, if he did not exclude Otamendi, it was because the referee considered either that he was playing the ball or that Kolo Muani, a little off-centre on the left side, was not clearly going in the direction of the purpose, totally alone.
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Simulation in the surface of Marcus Thuram
Marcus Thuram collapses in the area after contact with Enzo Fernandez.
Icon sport Abaca / Icon Sport
In the 87th minute, when the Blues had just picked up the score (2-2), Marcus Thuram exchanged a one-two in the opposing area with Adrien Rabiot, before collapsing on contact with Enzo Fernandez.
At real speed, the Argentine number 24 seems to hang on the Borussia Münchengladbach striker but the referee of the meeting whistles a simulation against Thuram who therefore receives a yellow card.
In slow motion, the contact seems light, and the Frenchman accentuates his fall.
Joël Quiniou's opinion:
“We are always in situations that are matters for discussion, it's almost 50-50.
For once, in my opinion, it is a decision that cannot be criticized because it is clear that Marcus Thuram is clearly accentuating his fall.
This is what prompted the referee not to whistle, and to give a card for simulation.
On the other hand, the contact was very light but still existed if we look at the slow motion.
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The advantage not left to Coman
Marcos Acuna received a yellow card for cutting off the Blues' counterattack in the 8th minute of added time.
2022 Icon Sport
We play the last minute of added time before extra time.
On a corner for Argentina, Kingsley Coman recovers the ball in the last 20 meters of the Blues and goes against, before being mowed down by Marcos Acuna.
The referee whistled for a foul and gave the Albiceleste left defender a yellow, instead of leaving the advantage for the Bayern Munich winger to serve Kylian Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani in front of him, who could go two against two.
The opinion of Joël Quiniou:
“The referee whistled too quickly.
This action could have been dangerous considering the position of Coman, and his two other teammates in front of him.
It's an action that could have been a goalscoring opportunity.
We must give the opportunity to the team victim of the fault, if the circumstances allow it, to let the play proceed.
We can always wait for the course of the action to give the yellow card afterwards.
The referee showed haste on this moment.
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