Jean-Michel Aulas in support of Antony Gautier.
The day after the resignation request made by seventeen of the eighteen Ligue 1 clubs against the Technical Director of Refereeing (DTA), the vice-president of the French Football Federation (FFF) defended the former referee via a post on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
“This controversy towards the technical direction of arbitration (DTA) is not justified,” believes the former OL boss.
The sovereign principle of arbitration does not admit the interference of professional clubs in the choices of the DTA.
The questioning of Antony Gautier is not fair and it is a vile reaction to the departure of the one they had dubbed.
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@fff @LFP @FootUnis This controversy towards the DTA is not justified: The Régalien principle of arbitration does not admit the interference of professional clubs in the choices of the DTA! The questioning of A Gauthier n I'm not fair and it's a vile reaction to the departure of the one they had knighted!
— Jean-Michel AULAS (@JM_Aulas) March 23, 2024
A first position taken by the “3F”, which had not yet reacted to the revolt of the French football elite clubs towards the DTA.
Antony Gautier, appointed by the body in January 2023, also became interim head of professional arbitration following the dismissal of Stéphane Lannoy, with whom he was in conflict, at the beginning of March.
The seventeen Ligue 1 clubs revealed, in an open letter published by L'Équipe on Friday, that “dialogue and trust were definitively broken” between them and Antony Gautier.
“Our Ligue 1 refereeing today does not seem to be up to the level of (…) the challenges, as illustrated by the numerous errors and controversies, every weekend, on almost all Ligue 1 pitches. Images provided by the VAR and available to the referees make them even more incomprehensible, even less acceptable (…) The clubs are demanding the change of Mr Antony Gautier, the current director of refereeing of the French Football Federation (FFF)” they indicated.