Benoît Bastien

Benoît Bastien is a football referee in France's Ligue 1. He is currently newsworthy due to his officiating during the Olympique Lyonnais (OL) vs. FC Lorient match on April 12, 2026. During the game, Bastien made the unprecedented decision to explain his rationale for not awarding a penalty to Lorient directly to the stadium audience via the referee's microphone. This marked a first in Ligue 1 and highlighted the potential impact of the new referee audio technology. The match itself was significant as Lyon secured a victory, boosting their chances of qualifying for European competition. Bastien's transparency, while novel, has sparked discussion about the future of refereeing and communication with fans in professional football.