Michael Gerlinger says French refereeing trails Germany by 10 years | OneFootball

Michael Gerlinger has called for refereeing reform, saying France is where Germany was 10 years ago. According to L'Équipe, a club working group will present proposals to the Ligue one college in March.

Matchday 24 brought another wave of contentious calls. Nice lost 1-0 at Paris FC earlier on Sunday, before Lyon were beaten 3-2 at Marseille. Nice later questioned the coherence of recent decisions and called for consistency.

Gerlinger said Lyon wanted clear answers and had not received them. He cited a similar incident in the 3-0 win over Nantes on 30 November that triggered a VAR check, unlike Sunday in Marseille, and argued referees must accept accountability like players, coaches and executives.

On Monday, Lille president and Ligue one college chair Olivier Létang presented the group’s reflections to the refereeing department. Developed with Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro and Gerlinger, the work includes a memo based on Premier League and Bundesliga models to improve consistency and relations.

He outlined four pillars. The first is organisation and accountability, seen as more structured and professional in Germany and England, with separate bodies overseeing refereeing. The second is communication, aiming for less authoritarian relations and more constructive exchanges with leagues, players and coaches.

A third pillar targets technical procedures with a clearer framework, and a fourth explores future use of AI, which is not yet in place. Gerlinger said the aim is to improve refereeing by working together rather than in conflict.

Source: L'Équipe