ESTAC Troyes Protests After Late Handball Controversy

ESTAC Troyes was left fuming after a late handball decision went against them in their match against Nantes. The incident occurred in the 96th minute when Mostafa Mohamed's arm appeared to make contact with the ball, but the referee, Jérémie Pignard, allowed the goal to stand.

What happened?

ESTAC Troyes had taken the lead in the 93rd minute through Wilson Odobert, but Nantes equalized in the 96th minute through Evann Guessand.

The ESTAC Troyes players and staff were incensed by the decision, with manager Patrick Kisnorbo saying 'it's the referee who decided the outcome of the game.' He also stated that 'if we apply the rules to the letter, according to his explanations, if the ball touches the biceps in the penalty area and moves towards the goal, it's not a handball.'

Reaction from the players

Yoann Salmier, the ESTAC Troyes defender, took to Twitter to express his outrage, saying 'time added on, hand not given, thanks for the steal and for the respect of ESTAC.' His tweet was later deleted.

The referee's explanation

Jérémie Pignard explained his decision, saying that 'a part of the ball's circumference clearly touches the player's sleeve.' He also stated that 'if the ball had touched the player's arm elsewhere on the field, it would have been a free kick.'