The Viola led 2-0 at the Stade Gerland with just 17 minutes to
go and were coasting to victory when defender Luciano Zauri went
down in his own six yard box with a head injury, and stayed down
dazed and confused for well over a minute.
However, Lyon unsportingly refused to kick the ball out of play,
and then used Zauri positioning in order to beat the offside trap,
thus allowing substitute Piquionne to score to make it 2-1.
Lyon then equalised five minutes from time and after the game
striker Alberto Gilardino launched a tirade in which he branded the
French team “cheats”.
The controversy has worsened since it was revealed that the
referee, Peter Frojfeldt, was the same Swedish official who allowed
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s offside goal for Holland against Italy at
Euro 2008 to stand.
Just like in the aftermath of that match, UEFA have controversially
come out and supported the decision to allow the goal, saying that
the referee didn’t consider Zauri’s injury to be serious.
“There's nothing to say about the goal because it was the referee's
decision,” UEFA spokesman William Gaillard stated.
“We tell the players clearly that they don't have to put the ball
out if they see an opponent on the ground.
“It's not a question of fair play, but it's just so that we avoid
too many interruptions. The referee is the only one who can stop
play.
“If the official didn't believe Zauri's injury was serious then
there is nothing to question.”
Zauri was stretchered off the pitch just moments later with a
suspected fractured cheekbone.
