PARIS — The French soccer federation said Wednesday an apparent “ghost goal” for Le Mans was valid despite Auxerre coach Will Still saying television images showed it was “impossible.”
Le Mans took the lead in a 1-1 draw Sunday in Ligue 1 from a header that Auxerre goalkeeper Paul Nardi seemed to save on the goal line.
The match referee was notified by his watch to the goal-line technology system and awarded the goal, backed by video review officials - whose real-time discussions were broadcast by the French federation Wednesday.
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Still repeatedly said in post-game interviews the technology and match officials mistakenly judged seeing his goalkeeper’s gloved hand behind the goal line and not the ball.
“It’s his glove, I swear to you it’s his glove on this play,” Still said Sunday, citing a camera angle - not included in the federation’s footage Wednesday - that appeared to show the ball was saved.
“If you saw the image from behind the goal,” Still told the league’s in-house broadcaster, “it’s impossible that this ball has entered the goal.”
The federation said the video review officials looked at the footage in minute detail “but are unable to identify any evidence that would contradict the signal transmitted by the goal-line technology.”
Goal-line technology was eventually developed by FIFA, and its then-president Sepp Blatter, after a clear goal for England’s Frank Lampard was not awarded in a 2010 World Cup loss against Germany.
The system was installed for the 2014 edition in Brazil.
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