Lille says defender Santos ruptured ACL in tackle and considering legal action

LILLE, France (AP) — Champions League club Lille is considering legal action over an injury to defender Tiago Santos who is set to miss the rest of the season.

The 24-year-old right back ruptured the ACL in his right knee, the club confirmed on Monday, in an “uncontrolled and dangerous” tackle on Saturday by a Le Havre player during a Ligue 1 game. Lille did not identify Le Havre midfielder Amir Richardson who was not shown a yellow or red card for the challenge.

It is a second ACL injury for Portugal Under-21 international Santos who damaged his left knee in October 2024.

Lille said it asked the French league and soccer federation to explain the video review process by Saturday's match officials analyzing the incident. The club suggested the tackle justified a direct red card.

“The circumstances of the incident and the lack of any sanction raise serious questions for the club,” said Lille, adding it has asked the league to refer the incident to its disciplinary panel.

Lille is second in Ligue 1 after beating Le Havre 1-0 and plays at Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Santos played the full game in Lille’s opening 3-2 loss at home to Real Betis five weeks ago.

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