Benoît Bastien ‘to retire’ after 15 years, may take Fédération française de football role | OneFootball

French referee Benoît Bastien, 43, is to retire from on-field duties after 15 years at the top level, according to Vosges Matin. His decision follows that of Stéphanie Frappart.

He is expected to join the arbitration department at the Fédération française de football, and could become the new director of its professional refereeing sector.

Bastien entered Ligue 1 at 28, was named Ligue 1 Referee of the Year at the 2022 Trophées UNFP, and was selected by the Commission fédérale de l'arbitrage as the top official for 2024-2025.

He has overseen 227 Ligue 1 fixtures and more than 526 games in total. His final assignment was the first leg of the Ligue 1-Ligue 2 play-off, AS Saint-Étienne versus OGC Nice, which finished 0-0.

The Épinal native would probably help steer the expansion of referee on-field audio. In April, he became the first in France to explain a VAR decision live to spectators during Lyon v Lorient, which ended 2-0.

Source: L'Équipe