OM breaks silence on the sanction imposed on Dimitri Payet

Author of a slap on Yannick Cahuzac during the defeat in Lens on May 6 (2-1), the French midfielder of Olympique de Marseille Dimitri Payet received a sanction of five suspension matches (including three farms) by the Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League, to which the main interested party did not appear this Wednesday evening. An unfair sanction according to his club, which insisted on breaking the silence on the league’s decision concerning its number 10, via a press release published on its official website.

“Finally, Olympique de Marseille considers that the LFP Disciplinary Committee should above all focus its attention and efforts on compliance with procedures and the application of the regulations in force. Article 3 of the Disciplinary Regulations also specifies that the members of the Disciplinary Commission are chosen “because of their legal skills or in terms of sports ethics and deontology”.said the Marseille club, which had already protested a few days earlier against certain arbitration decisions taken against it in the league.

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The full press release:

Olympique de Marseille takes note of the decision rendered this Wednesday, May 17, 2023 by the Disciplinary Committee of the LFP against Dimitri Payet (three firm suspension matches and two suspended sentences).

This sanction imposed on our player was unfortunately pronounced in defiance of the basic principles of procedure and the Disciplinary Regulations of the LFP.

In application of the Video Assistance Protocol for Arbitration (VAR), the entire contentious sequence was viewed and checked on the spot by the video referee, without it giving rise to a sanction.

This decision was final and the Disciplinary Committee could not therefore review it a posteriori.

In addition, the conditions for referral to the Disciplinary Committee provided for in Article 4 of the LFP Disciplinary Regulations have not been met.

Finally, Olympique de Marseille considers that the LFP Disciplinary Committee should above all focus its attention and efforts on compliance with procedures and the application of the regulations in force. Article 3 of the Disciplinary Regulations also specifies that the members of the Disciplinary Commission are chosen “because of their legal skills or in terms of sports ethics and deontology”.

For all of these reasons, and pending notification of the reasons, Olympique de Marseille is therefore preparing to initiate an appeal against this decision, which is open to criticism from a procedural point of view and which risks establishing a jurisprudence on the application of sanctions a posteriori.