Lille say they are considering legal action after defender Tiago Santos was seriously injured in Saturday’s Ligue 1 match against Le Havre. The club described the tackle that caused the injury as reckless and dangerous.
Santos, 24, was taken off on a stretcher with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The challenge came from Le Havre midfielder Amir Richardson in the first half of Lille’s 1-0 win. The referee gave a foul but showed Richardson no card.
Lille have asked the league to send the incident to its disciplinary panel. The club believes it deserved a red card because the tackle came from behind and was out of control. In its statement, Lille said the circumstances of the injury and the lack of any punishment raised serious questions.
The club has also contacted the French Football Federation and the Professional Football League (LFP). It wants a review of how the referee and the video assistant referee (VAR) handled the incident.
Lille added that they are studying their options and reserve the right to take legal action to seek compensation for their losses. They expect Santos to be out for several months.
Le Havre replied that the club and Richardson support Santos in his recovery. They still backed the decisions of the referee and the VAR.
They also criticised Lille’s request for a punishment after the match, arguing that it would fall outside the current rules. The club said it respects all other Ligue 1 teams and expects the same in return.
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