In La Roja’s vibrant debut in the France World Cup 1998where the national team returned to a major football event since 1982, a controversial incident it got dark what seemed to be a glorious day for Chile.
The match against the powerful Italy, which took place on June 11 at the Parc Lescure in Bordeaux, witnessed one of the moments most discussed in the history of Chilean football: the penalty awarded by referee Lucien Bouchardeau in favor of the ‘Azzurra’ in the final minutes of the game.
From the beginning, Chile exhibited its characteristic determination under the leadership of Nelson Acosta. Marcelo Salaswith his precision in front of the goal, scored twice to advance the ‘Team ce Todos’, responding elegantly to the Italian attempts to equalize.
However, the intensity of the match reached its peak when, at 88 minutesa center to the Chilean area of Roberto Baggio On the right he found the hand of Ronald Fuentes.
The handball of the La Roja defender caused an immediate reaction from the Europeans, who demanded a penalty. Lucien Bouchardeau, after a brief pause to evaluate the situation, pointed out the fateful point dthus unleashing fury and despair on the national team and in Nelson Acosta, their coach.
“I only thought about defending and the decision went against me”
The person in charge of executing the maximum penalty was the experienced Roberto Baggio, Calcio icon. With the pressure on his shoulders, the ‘Divino’ did not hesitate and converted the penalty with an impeccable shot that surpassed the effort of goalkeeper Nelson Tapia. The 2-2 draw, which sealed the final result, was a devastating blow for the Chilean team, which until that moment had shown a solid and promising game.
For Baggio, the key moment of the crossing in Bordeaux was an opportunity to show his temper and quality. “It was a clear penalty, and I had to concentrate as much as possible to convert it“commented the Italian striker in the mixed zone.
In contrast, Nelson Tapia, visibly affected by the decision of the central judge of Niger, expressed his frustration in the post-match: “It is difficult to accept that the destiny of the game changes like this, when we felt that we had control“.
Ronald Fuentes, unwitting protagonist of the key play, also shared his perspective: “It was a game changer, in the heat of the moment I didn’t think about anything other than defending. Unfortunately, the decision went against me.“.
The man from Niger became the most hated man in Chile
The controversy surrounding Bouchardeau’s penalty resonated for days in the international media, questioning the interpretation of the African referee and its impact in the result of the match.
The referee, for his part, defended his decision in statements minutes after the final whistle: “I clearly saw Fuentes’ hand. In situations like this, my duty is to apply the rules“. However, criticism was immediate, accusing the referee of bias and lack of judgment at a crucial moment in the match.
The penalty awarded by Bouchardeau not only altered the fate of that match for Chile, but also marked a milestone in the history of refereeing controversies in World Cups. The image of Nelson Tapia, helpless in the face of Baggio’s shot, and the disbelief of the Chilean players were etched in the memory of soccer fans. Despite the adverse result, Chile managed to advance to the next phase of the tournament, but the legacy of Bouchardeau’s penalty would persist for a long time after that fateful June 11, 1998.
Days after being the protagonist in La Roja’s debut, the referee was expelled of the World Cup for giving an interview to an Italian media, something forbidden by FIFA.
After the prominence acquired by his refereeing in Bordeaux, Bouchardeau became a real celebrity in Niger. But his moment of fame was overshadowed by controversies involving him with then-FIFA president, Joseph Blatter.
It was learned that the judge received from Blatter 25 thousand dollars “for humanitarian reasons and in exchange for information about corruption in African football.” The payment was made from the leader’s personal account and generated a wave of criticism.
As the years passed, and facing health problems compounded by a serious illness, Bouchardeau finally offered his apologies to Chile in 2007.
“My apologies to Chile, it was unintentional. I never thought an entire country would hate me. I have seen that image many times, it is logical. I suffered a lot, my career was over. I didn’t want to favor anyone. I saw a hand inside the area that interrupted a center,” he said in dialogue with El Mercurio.
Bouchardeau’s death
The referee who in his career directed two African Cups, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the 1997 ‘Saudi Arabia’ Confederations Cup and the 1998 World Cup in France died on February 20, 2018 at 56 years old.
The architect of that controversial payment in Chile-Italy died due to a cardiac arrestafter suffering in recent years with multiple health problems.
Your son, Isse Lucienreferred at the time to the maximum penalty that still affects Chilean fans. “I was 11 years old, we were in France and I watched the entire game in full.”“, he indicated.
“I have watched the match between Chile and Italy many times and I am sure that Any referee would take the penalty that my dad took.. I would do it. It’s a matter of seeing how the defender has his hand in the area, detached. The video is on YouTube, everyone can see it,” he added.
