Toulouse and Max-Alain Gradel suffered a 2-0 defeat against AS Saint-Étienne on Sunday, but the match could have taken a different turn if the Ivorian striker had converted a penalty in the 76th minute. Gradel had earned the spot-kick after being fouled by Mathieu Debuchy, yet just as he was about to take it, the referee paused the action to await confirmation from the VAR team on the legitimacy of the penalty.
After the game, Gradel admitted that the delay affected his focus. “It’s unbelievable! VAR intervenes when there’s doubt. Not when the foul is clear and obvious, like it was,” he told L’Equipe, as reported by Foot Mercato. “When I placed the ball, I’d already made my decision. The problem is that afterwards, inevitably, the longer you wait, the worse it is. Because you start to question things. And I decided to change sides,” he explained, noting that he eventually shot to the left of the Saint-Étienne goalkeeper.
Despite the miss, Gradel insisted that the delay was not the only factor. “I didn’t miss because I shot it badly. I placed it just inside the post and along the ground. But there was a great goalkeeper in front of me. What’s more, ‘Ruf’ knows me well. Maybe that played a part and allowed him to make a great save. Good for him,” he added.
Gradel’s reflections highlight the mental pressures players face, especially in high-stakes moments influenced by technology like VAR. Although Toulouse were unable to capitalize on the opportunity, the striker’s candid assessment underscores both the psychological and technical challenges involved in taking penalties under intense scrutiny.
