Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has slammed the referee in charge of the club’s defeat to Chelsea.

He told Telefoot via L’Equipe: “I am very proud of the coach (Julien Stephan). We should not be ashamed despite the score.

“But there is more than disappointment, there is frustration. The man of the match was the referee.

“I would like them to explain to me the handball rules inside the box. If there is a handball from Dalbert while the ball has already touched his foot, what about the handball from Zouma? VAR wakes up for our [handball] but not theirs.

“And on top of that he gives a second yellow with that. We can be frustrated, more than frustrated. The result, it was the referee who made it.

“The match is killed at 2-0 while Alfred [Gomis, Rennes’ goalkeeper] has not had a save to make. We were certainly refereed like the newbie, and that is difficult to accept.

“You have less weight over the referee when you are Rennes than when you are Chelsea. When the referee has a good match, in general, you do not speak about him.

“But I think we are going to speak a lot about him this evening. Even the English media are unanimous in saying that it is a little scandal. Sleep will be hard to find.”