AJ Auxerre protests controversial goal-line technology error

A major controversy has erupted in France's Ligue 1 following a disputed goal during the match between AJ Auxerre and Le Mans, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In the 48th minute, Le Mans player Lucas Buades scored a header that appeared to be stopped on the line by Auxerre goalkeeper Paul Nardi. However, the goal-line technology signaled that the ball had fully crossed the line, prompting referee Willy Delajod to award the goal.

Auxerre manager Will Still and club president Baptiste Malherbe have vehemently contested the decision, claiming that television replays show the technology mistakenly identified the goalkeeper's glove as the ball. Still reported that officials admitted to an unprecedented technical failure, noting that only two of the four required sensors had activated due to a computer error.

France's Arbitration Directorate has responded to the outcry, stating that while the situation was exceptional, video assistant referees (VAR) were unable to find any footage that definitively contradicted the signal sent by the goal-line technology. Consequently, the decision to award the goal has been upheld.