Rennes‑Paris Saint-Germain match, 2‑2
On Sunday, Rennes faced Paris‑Saint‑Germain at the Brittany stadium. The final score was 2‑2 after Rennes had led 2‑0. The equalising goal was scored by Paris Saint-Germain, but Brice Samba’s incident dominated the discussion.
Samba’s time‑wasting
In the 62nd minute, Brice Samba, former Lens player, collected the ball after a stalled action by Désiré Doué. He took 15 s before restarting play, performing a few feinting relaunches. Referee M. Dechepy applied a new time‑wasting rule, awarding a corner to Paris Saint-Germain.
The rule introduced by IFAB
In early June, Pierluigi Collina, head of global referees, outlined a series of measures to improve game tempo. Approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), these rules include a five‑second virtual countdown. If the ball is not put back into play after this period, the opposing team receives possession. For a kick from the ground, the opponent is awarded a corner.
Teams’ reactions
Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain’s coach, protested after the corner, especially after a sock of Mousa Al‑Tamari on Matvey Safonov. He expressed his frustration, saying: “We had meetings with referees where they say they will do things but then… It’s like that. I’m angry about different situations, of course.”
The final point
Despite the sanctioned time‑wasting, Rennes managed to equalise, leaving Brittany with a point. The incident highlighted the concrete application of the IFAB rule, the first time it was used in Ligue 1.
Conclusion
The match illustrated the immediate impact of the new rule on the flow of a game. Samba inaugurated the process in Ligue 1, and coaches’ reactions underscore the importance of uniform application of these measures.
