Football: When Barth Constantin turns into a fourth referee

The first match of the 2025-2026 season of Super League, who opposed FC Zurich to FC Sion (2-3) Friday evening at the Letzigrund, offered a crazy scenario. With possibly a turning point in the match that occurred on the edge of the field, with Barthélémy Constantin as the main actor.

Because, a posteriori, the triple change in the Valais ranks which occurred in the 64th minute, while the training of Didier Tholot was carried out by two lengths, allowed the FC Sion to return to the game. During the municipal entries of Berdayes, Chipperfield and Lukembila shortly after the time of play, the Valais sports director played a decisive role.

Present on the sidelines, in front of the replacement bench then occupied by the Valais team, the president’s son first gying vehemently, before speaking to the fourth referee and then, downright seize the second display table.

The reason? Barth Constantine wanted to accelerate replacements and not waste time with a view to returning to the score. “We had to take the FCZ table, because ours did not have enough room to display the three replacements,” he said at 20 minutes at the end of the match. I wanted to help it go quickly. ”

A display table used during changes cannot, in fact, show that two replacements as much as possible, which is why the sedun leader had to use the one initially reserved for FC Zurich. And when Barth Constantine was asked why he did not let the fourth referee do his job himself, the FC Sion sports director laughs: “Because I was simply much faster.”

Then add: “And especially because our goal was to win the three points.” Mission accomplished, thanks to the decisive goal signed Winsley Boteli at the … 91st minute. Like what, the few seconds scratched by the Valais sports director during the replacements were not in vain.