Lens penalty error confirmed by Ligue 1 refereeing body

Lens’ opening Ligue 1 win has been marked by an officiating error after the French Football Federation’s refereeing department ruled that their first penalty against Auxerre should not have been awarded. The decision concerned a handball call involving Auxerre midfielder Arthur Piedfort and Lens forward Ismaëlo Ganiou.

Lens won 5-2, with Florian Thauvin converting the penalty in the 12th minute. The review found that Piedfort’s arm was being held by Ganiou during the duel, leaving the Auxerre player unable to control its movement. The department concluded that he did not deliberately play the ball or make his body occupy more space, meaning the handball offence was not established. VAR should have sent referee Mathieu Vernice to review the decision and cancel the penalty.

The ruling does not extend to the red card shown to Auxerre defender Christ Makosso in the 35th minute. That dismissal was judged correct because he was the last defender when he stopped Abdallah Sima, who had a strong opportunity to reach the goal. Lens therefore move into second place with three points after the opening round, while Auxerre are 17th without a point. The result ended a run in which Auxerre had won four of their previous five matches, while Lens entered on three wins, a draw and a defeat in their last five.