Lille gets an arbitration response after Tiago Santos’ injury

Arbitration has responded to Lille after the serious injury suffered by Tiago Santos against Le Havre, in a match that finished 1-0 in Ligue 1. Lille had said it was considering legal action for “compensation” after a challenge by Amir Richardson. Santos, whose last season-ending issue was a complete ACL rupture in his left knee in October 2024, is now facing the same injury in his right knee, as confirmed by the club.

What arbitration says on Richardson

In its debrief of the 6th matchday, the arbitration department gives Lille a partial win: it believes a yellow card would have been warranted for the Le Havre player. Still, it stresses that, while regrettable, the injury from the contact alone cannot determine the disciplinary category. It adds that the intervention was made without excessive speed or brutality, and while the foul is “wrong” and “inconsiderate” under Law 12, it does not necessarily meet the features of a “gross foul.”

The arbitration report also examines the second penalty that was cancelled for Paris Saint-Germain in their 3-1 win over Le Mans. After Désiré Doué’s attempt was stopped by Nicolas Kocik, the referee awarded another penalty following contact with Vitinha, but VAR overturned it because Vitinha had entered the area before the shot. The report specifies the requirement to stay outside the box and behind the arc until the kick, noting that the PSG number 17 stepped onto that line—something that becomes sanctionable when the rebound is contested.