Abdelli’s challenge deserved a red card, Adil Rami says

In the 12th minute of the match between Troyes and OM, Himad Abdelli caught Iron Gomis in the face with his boot as he tried to reach a ball in the Troyes penalty area. The referee gave Abdelli a verbal warning, but Adil Rami felt the Marseille player should have been sent off. The foul could have proved costly for OM.

Marseille eventually won 2-0 away to Troyes, a result that took the side out of the relegation zone. The match could, however, have become much more difficult for Bruno Genesio’s men had Abdelli been dismissed.

Referee Monsieur Paradis’s decision was not followed by a VAR intervention and became a talking point after the match. Abdelli stayed on for the full game and even scored a late penalty, helping secure OM’s second win of the season.

Rami summed up his view bluntly: “He touches the face and it’s a red card.” He also acknowledged that the referee may have wanted to keep the match alive: “Then there’s the referee’s common sense, which avoids killing this match with a red… but for me, it’s a red.”