French football federation upholds controversial Le Mans goal

The French football federation has officially upheld a controversial goal scored by Le Mans during a 1-1 draw against AJ Auxerre. The decision follows intense protests from Auxerre coach Will Still, who claimed television footage proved the ball never fully crossed the goal line.

During the match, goal-line technology signaled a goal following a header by Lucas Buades, despite Auxerre goalkeeper Paul Nardi appearing to save the ball on the line. Still argued that officials and the technology likely mistook the goalkeeper’s gloved hand for the ball.

In an official statement, the federation noted that video assistant referees conducted a thorough review of all available footage. However, they concluded they were “unable to identify any evidence that would contradict the signal transmitted by the goal-line technology.” Because the footage did not provide definitive proof to overturn the initial decision, the goal remains valid.