Lille weigh legal action after Tiago Santos suffers knee injury
Lille say they are considering legal action after defender Tiago Santos suffered a right-knee injury from a tackle by Le Havre midfielder Amir Richardson in their Ligue 1 match on Saturday; Santos was carried off on a stretcher and Lille have asked the authorities to review the incident.
Santos, 24, had started every Ligue 1 match for Lille this season, and the club described the challenge as having been made "from behind, uncontrolled and in a dangerous manner" and said the lack of a sanction raised concerns. "Beyond the injury itself, the circumstances in which it occurred and the lack of sanction raise serious questions for the club," the club's statement added.
The tackle occurred in the first half and was given as a foul by the match officials, but Richardson did not receive a yellow or red card; Lille went on to record a 1-0 victory. Santos was stretchered off immediately after the challenge and did not continue in the game.
Medical assessment revealed Santos had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and suffered a meniscal tear in his right knee, and the club said he would be unable to play for "several months". Those injuries ended his involvement in the match and rule him out of the near-term playing schedule.
LOSC have asked the league to refer the incident to its disciplinary panel and formally "referred the matter to the French Football Federation and the Professional Football League in order to obtain an examination of the handling of this action by the refereeing team and the video assistance." "LOSC is studying the possible remedies and reserves the right to take any legal action to obtain compensation for its damages," the club added.
Le Havre said the club and Richardson had expressed their support for Santos in his recovery while backing the decisions of the match referee and the video assistant referee, and questioned Lille's attempt to "punish its player after the fact, since such a decision would fall outside the current regulations". "HAC respects all fellow Ligue 1 clubs and expects the same respect in return," Le Havre added.
BBC Sport has contacted the LFP, which runs the French professional leagues, for comment.
Lille are second in Ligue 1 and will face Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
