REFEREE Ruddy Buquet stunned fans, players and commentators alike when he stunningly sent off Metz star Georges Mikautadze last night.
The League 1 relegation fighters were in action against Rennes at Stade Saint-Symphorien.
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Metz trailed 3-2 in the final stages, after Arnaud Kalimuendo's goal for the visitors in the 93rd minute.
Things then went from bad to worse for Laszlo Boloni's side, when talisman Mikautadze was shown a straight red card in the 96th minute.
Replays clearly showed that the Georgian and Kalimendo had encountered each other innocently, with the latter meeting a theatrical demise.
Mikautadze walked through the tunnel, alone USED TO BE to instruct Buquet to look at the field monitor again.
The 47-year-old was then shown the incident a number of times, expecting common sense to prevail and the decision to be reversed.
Mikautadze, 23, clearly expected to be allowed to return and tried to get back on the field.
Incredibly, he was stopped by the fourth official, with Buquet doing a double and sticking to his baffling decision.
Metz then lost the crucial match 3–2, leaving them 16th in the Ligue 1 relegation play-off zone, and just three points above the automatic drop.
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Mikautadze's controversial red card will now see him ruled out for Metz's crucial final two matches if it is not overturned by the LFP.
Boloni, who gave Cristiano Ronaldo his senior debut for Sporty Lisbon to Strasbourg with his team more than twenty years ago next one timeout, before ending their campaign by hosting Paris Saint-Germain.
The experienced Metz boss, 71, was furious with the referee after the match.
His side twice took the lead through goals from Mikautadze and Papa Amadou Diallo, before being denied by an effort from Amine Gouiri and a penalty from Benjamin Bourigeaud.
I don't know whether to scream, cry, laugh…
Laszlo Boloni
About the referee's action, Boloni said: “The penalty changes the course of the match almost completely.
“The icing on the cake is the ouster of Mikautadze. I don't know whether to scream, cry, laugh… I can't comment. It's not commentable. No comment.
“I just ask myself one question: Am I really willing to talk and really tell you what I feel?
“Because if I do that, I don't live far away, I will immediately buy a ticket to go to the disciplinary committee and they will be right, because there is always a sentence or a word of interpretation that makes some more equal than equals. wiser than the wise, have more rights than…please.”
The TNT Sports commentator in Britain was also baffled.
While the incident was being monitored, he said: “Kalimuendo deserves a yellow card for that.
“Let's hope the decision is right. Let's hope he gets called back and scores a late goal! He just stood there.”
'VAR has broken the minds of match officials'
Fans watching at home were left scratching their heads.
One wrote on social media: “VAR has blown the minds of the match officials.”
While a second blasted: “That is the worst broadcast I have ever seen.”
A third claimed: “The referee should stop refereeing if he thinks this is a red card.”
And another added: “Looks like VAR is broken across Europe.”
Mikautadze scored 23 goals as Metz were promoted from Ligue 2 last season.
Then he signed for it Ajax in a deal worth around £14 million.
After failing to impress in Amsterdam during Ajax's chaotic season, Mikautadze returned to Metz on loan in January.
His comeback was a resounding success: the attacker scored twelve goals in eighteen Ligue 1 appearances.
Should the LFP failure However, to overturn his red card, his time at Metz will be over.
