Lille v Man. United

Uefa has confirmed that Lille have lodged an official protest against Ryan Giggs' controversial winner for Manchester United on Tuesday night.
The Welsh winger sparked angry scenes, both on the pitch and off, with his quickly taken free-kick that sealed United's 1-0 win in the first leg of the last 16 meeting between the two sides.
Giggs curled his shot home whilst Lille keeper Tony Sylva was still arranging his wall, and in their resulting fury some members of the French side left the pitch - leading to a delay in play.
Uefa has now confirmed that Lille's protest and the subsequent behaviour of their players will be dealt with on Friday, with a replay an outside possibility if their complaint is upheld.
The governing body has already launched a probe into the worrying crowd scenes that accompanied the start of the clash, with a decision on the secondary issue due on 22nd March.
"The reason for the two dates is because a protest against a technical error could mean the match being replayed, if the protest was upheld," said a Uefa spokesman.
"So the question over the goal would have to be decided way earlier than March 22, since the (return leg) is due to take place in two weeks' time."

Lille director general Xavier Thuilot has hinted that Manchester United should be thrown out of the UEFA Champions League following the worrying crowd scenes that accompanied their clash on Tuesday night.

Uefa has already launched an investigation into the events that saw the United end of the ground apparently suffer from overcrowding in a stormy 1-0 win for the English side.

French police sprayed tear gas at the away crowd after some supporters attempted to scale perimeter fencing, and it has been reported that 5,000 fans were in a section of terracing designed to hold 3,500.

Uefa will discuss the issue on 22nd March after investigating 'possible violations of binding Uefa safety and security instructions by the host club, as well as the alleged improper conduct of both sets of supporters'.

United are planning to submit their own report to Uefa after consulting fans that were present at Stade Felix-Bollaert - some of whom have complained of heavy-handed policing - but Lille have now pointed the finger at their English counterparts.

Thuilot has claimed that the actions of some United fans were in a similar vein to those Feyenoord supporters who resulted in their team being expelled from the Uefa Cup following trouble in a game against Nancy.

"Uefa gave the green light to our security measures on the morning of the match so if they punish us they are in effect punishing themselves," Thuilot told a press conference.

"Manchester United are imposing their own brand of the law to Lille football club, to the Felix-Bollaert stadium and to Uefa.

"There was a real will on their part to impose their side of the story right from the full-time whistle because the club knows what's at stake following incidents involving their supporters.

"It's up to Uefa to rule on the issue, but we are clearly in the same category as Feyenoord."

Thuilot also blamed United's early release of match tickets for a number of forgeries, leading to alleged overcrowding in the away end.

"We sent their quota of places to Manchester several weeks ago, as is the usual thing to do.

"But the English club, instead of distributing the tickets to their supporters on their arrival at the stadium (or) on their descent from the bus, sent them out a month ago.

"The result - some very good forgeries, which have allowed some supporters to enter the stand reserved for them. All the forged tickets on the night were Manchester United tickets."

United have quickly rejected such accusations, replying: "Tickets were distributed by recorded delivery 11 days before the game or for collection from February 1.

"We would normally send out tickets for our home games at Old Trafford six weeks before the match and we have no problems with forgeries."

They aparently want either us thrown out or the game replayed.

UEFA's verdict will be tomorrow

The head of security at Lens has rejected talk that his team were heavy-handed with Manchester United fans.

United's 1-0 win over Lille in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night was overshadowed by events off the pitch.

Trouble broke out at Lens' Stade Felix-Bollaert stadium with several fans appearing to be crushed due to over-crowding in the United end of the ground.

Tear gas was used by police to try and stop the supporters from climbing barriers as they tried to avoid being crushed.

Uefa has launched an investigation into the incidents, but the chief of security at Lens, Damien Vanoise, has defended his colleagues' actions.

"I think we responded to what happened," Vanoise told French radio station RTL.

"We didn't intervene by chance.

"There was not even a problem of communication. From the moment we saw the supporters who were trying to pull on the railings, what is the interpretation we can make from that - us, as security guards? For me, it is violent behaviour."

Vanoise also insisted that no one got crushed and that there were not too many people in the visitors' stand.

"I can tell you that nobody was crushed in the wire fencing," added Vanoise.

"There weren't too many people in that stand. The stand was not full."

Parks lives wrote:They aparently want either us thrown out or the game replayed.

Is this serious?

Neither will happen.

Cesc wrote:

Parks lives wrote:They aparently want either us thrown out or the game replayed.

Is this serious?

Neither will happen.

This is the link to us being thrown out by one of there directors

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=450045&CPID=5&clid=1&lid=2&title=Lille+point+finger+at+United

The replay comment was in the Sun, so could be bullshit.

What good will a replay do, play in the same stadium and have the same problems again, ludicrous .. Lille are simply trying to deflect their 'stupidity' (players, staff, fans and team) onto Manchester United.

Giggs goal was legit, its in the rule book instead of complaining they should read. Shame about their fans behaving in that way, and they did want to 'boycott' the game don't believe their 'cock and bull' story in 'France we protest when the ball goes out of play', Manchester United is not a French team and the game was not a French league tie.

If Platini does make us replay , what should be our reaction?

Bomb UEFA.

Bilal wrote:If Platini does make us replay , what should be our reaction?

I don't think its up to Platini, don't UEFA have a branch which deals with the European Cups (UEFA Cup + Champions League) .. sure Platini will have a say, he is El Presidente after all .. but his word is not final (lets don't get into conspiracies..)

If the 'unthinkable' does happen and a replay is decided .. Manchester United have two options

1. Play the game, but maybe in another venue and win again or 2. launch a appeal to the CAS or a counter-appeal to Lille via UEFA .. time is ticking...

Your reaction should be to walk off the pitch if you concede a goal, if that's the way to get UEFA mobilised.

Ridiculous stuff - Lille blame Man U for releasing the tickets early, enabling forgeries to be made, but claim that the part of the stand where the trouble was didn't have an overcrowding problem.

Well, which one is it? Either there were lots of forged tickets, in which case there was overcrowding, or there wasn't.

Lying cunts. All an attempt to take the blame away from shoddy policing and ridiculous behaviour by the team.

I'm pissed off enough with Platini already.

But if he gets involved with this and starts even suggesting there should be a replay then someone needs to assf**k him with a chainsaw.

Cunt.

No way he can make us replay. That is an unbelievably dangerous precident to set. Matches in this competition are tight where 1 mistake/controversial decision/close call decide matches.

If clubs can lodge complaints and then get awarded replays I see chaos. Moreover the goal is legit if you start replays on legit goals, then imagine how many can be done on illegitemate goals.

Picture the Liverpool - Milan Final, Gerrard goes down for that penalty, Milan think it is dubous and lodge a complaint, and the final gets replayed, what a farce that would be.

Didnt Arsenal replay their game vs Sheff Utd a few years ago when Steve Bruce got his team to walk off the pitch for a minute or two...after Arsenal cheated(as per) to score their goal?

Arsene agreed to replay that game, it wasn't decreed by the authorities to do so, he did it as a sporting gesture.

Ahh ok, I couldnt remember how it happened, just that it did.

Good old Arsene.

borocooper wrote:Didnt Arsenal replay their game vs Sheff Utd a few years ago when Steve Bruce got his team to walk off the pitch for a minute or two...after Arsenal cheated(as per) to score their goal?

i was at that game the highbury one.

so when is this decision being made?

I'm getting bored and could do with some more cheap shots at the french

GIGGS: REF TOLD ME TO TAKE IT


Ryan Giggs has revealed that the referee gave him permission to take the quick free-kick that sparked such controversy in Manchester United's Champions League win over Lille.

And the Welsh midfielder says he was amazed by the reaction of the Lille players - before adding even more spice to the second leg by quipping, "That's the French I suppose."

"The ref came over and said do you want the whistle, and I said no, I'll take a quick one," Giggs explained to the Manchester Evening News.

"So I said to Wayne, put the ball down, and that was it. I was pleased to see it go in, if it hadn't I probably would have had a few words off the boss!"

"Obviously I was pleased with the result, it was a somewhat contentious goal, but I'm obviously pleased with the points (sic).

"But the last time I scored a goal like that, no one thought about walking off the pitch.

"I was just amazed by what was happening around us, we didn't know what was going on, but that's the French I suppose."

That's an amalgam but that's the english I suppose

It would be fine if you english understand football rules.

Lille players didn't try to walk off the pitch, but stop the game for deposing a technical objection to the 4th referee.

Napoléon wrote:It would be fine if you english understand football rules.

Lille players didn't try to walk off the pitch, but stop the game for deposing a technical objection to he 4th referee.

But thats not in the UEFA rules.

Parks lives wrote:

Napoléon wrote:It would be fine if you english understand football rules.

Lille players didn't try to walk off the pitch, but stop the game for deposing a technical objection to he 4th referee.

But thats not in the UEFA rules.

It's what I mean, you don't know football rules. Let me find this rule and I back.

However, against which team you play this week Parks ?

Fulham away.

Sorry it's in french.
Apparently, the "technical objection" wich allow a team to complain a referee decision after the next play break, is a law use in French league. In european competitions, that's a bit different. The complain should be given after the game.

SO I REPEAT, LILLE PLAYERS DIDN'T TRY TO WALK OFF BUT TO DEPOSE A TECHNICAL OBJECTION TO UEFA INSTANCE JUST AFTER THE REFEREE DECISION.

And sorry English people couldn't know that.

Art. 146 Réserves techniques Art. 146 Réserves techniques


1. Les réserves visant les questions techniques doivent, pour être valables :
a) être formulées par le capitaine plaignant à l'arbitre, à l'arrêt du jeu qui est la conséquence de la décision contestée si elles concernent un fait sur lequel l'arbitre est intervenu.
(...)
c) être formulées par le capitaine à l'arbitre, dès le premier arrêt de jeu, s'il s'agit d'un fait sur lequel l'arbitre n'est pas intervenu.
(...)
3.
c) indiquer la nature des fais et de la décision qui prêtent à contestation.
(...)
4. La faute technique n'est retenue que si la commission compétente juge qu'elle a une incidence sur le résultat final de la rencontre.
5. La commission a la faculté de confirmer le résultat acquis sur le terrain ou de donner le match à rejouer.

So why were the coaching staff waving all the players over to the bench/tunnel??? Surely they can object without the players coming off of the field.

Kimbo wrote:So why were the coaching staff waving all the players over to the bench/tunnel??? Surely they can object without the players coming off of the field.

Wrong, I didn't see the players going to the tunnel.
So explain me why they didn't do that just after the goal ?
No, they kick off first and put the ball in throw in. And then they tried to find the 4th referee (who wasn't there...).

Napoléon wrote:

Kimbo wrote:So why were the coaching staff waving all the players over to the bench/tunnel??? Surely they can object without the players coming off of the field.

Wrong, I didn't see the players going to the tunnel.
So explain me why they didn't do that just after the goal ?
No, they kick off first and put the ball in throw in. And then they tried to find the 4th referee (who wasn't there...).

The coaching staff were waving the players over to the bench/tunnel area, why?

Kimbo wrote:

Napoléon wrote:

Kimbo wrote:So why were the coaching staff waving all the players over to the bench/tunnel??? Surely they can object without the players coming off of the field.

Wrong, I didn't see the players going to the tunnel.
So explain me why they didn't do that just after the goal ?
No, they kick off first and put the ball in throw in. And then they tried to find the 4th referee (who wasn't there...).

The coaching staff were waving the players over to the bench/tunnel area, why?

I agree they were on the bench area because the captain had to make his objection to the 4th referee wich should have been in the bench area.
In the law, it' the role of the captain to make the objection, not the staff.