RENNES went crazy with joy then astonishment – as VAR enforced a little-known rule to deny them a last-gasp equaliser and dump them in the Europa League play-offs.
Video replays showed a “rare and unfortunate” infringement after Lorenz Assignon swept home 11 minutes into stoppage time during a 3-2 home loss against group winners Villarreal.
Rennes’ Enzo Le Fee had taken a free-kick earlier in the build-up – with the ball cannoning off the bar and the midfielder touching it next.
But that was long forgotten when Assignon fired the ball home in the middle of a crowded penalty area – sparking wild celebrations.
However, VAR stepped in to ensure the goal was disallowed – much to Villarreal’s relief.
That’s because a free-kick taker can’t be the first player to touch the ball after their own initial contact with it.
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Commentator Sam Matterface joined viewers and pundits in being bemused – with TNT Sports at first suggesting offside might be the reason.
And after the game Matterface posted on X: “‘I’m still baffled…..”
Even Rennes manager Julien Stephan was in shock – and not just because a draw would have displaced Villarreal as group winners.
He admitted he had to be told about the obscure law on free-kicks.
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Stephan said: “I learned it too, I knew the rule on penalties, I didn’t know that it could exist on free kicks. It’s an emotional elevator.
“I knew the rule existed for penalties, I didn’t know it existed for free kicks. It’s an emotional rollercoaster at this moment in time.”
Fans were also confused, with verdicts including “Devastating” and “VAR ruining the game again”.
One viewer wrote: “I’m almost certain this would be allowed in the PL because those on VAR would just not know that free kick law. Utterly useless.”
But other observers were more clued up.
Such experts pointed out the situation with posts like this: “Free-kick hits bar then comes back to player without a second player touching it. It’s the same as a player kicking the ball to himself. Rare and unfortunate.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
