Tochukwu Nnadi: Why French FA clears Marseille star after Le Havre handball row

Tochukwu Nnadi found himself at the centre of a controversial penalty decision last weekend but the Super Eagles star can now heave a sigh of relief following a new ruling.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has backed referee Clément Turpin’s decision not to award Le Havre a penalty following a handball appeal against Nnadi during Marseille’s 4-3 Ligue 1 win.

The federation’s Refereeing Department reviewed the incident, along with a separate penalty appeal involving Marseille forward Neal Maupay, and ruled that Turpin was right not to award either penalty.

The decision follows Sunday’s dramatic encounter at the Stade Vélodrome on October 25, when Marseille nearly surrendered a four-goal lead.

Tochukwu Nnadi: Why the French FA backed Turpin’s decision

Marseille appeared to be cruising towards victory after racing into a four-goal lead, but Le Havre scored three times to set up a nervy finish.

The visitors appealed for a penalty during stoppage time after the ball appeared to strike Nnadi’s arm inside the Marseille penalty area.

Turpin reviewed the footage after VAR intervened but stood by his original decision.

According to French outlet Foot01, The FFF has backed the referee, saying the available footage did not clearly establish whether the ball had touched Nnadi’s arm or whether any contact amounted to a handball offence.

The federation also ruled that the footage did not show a clear and obvious error by Turpin. As a result, there was no sufficient reason to overturn his decision.

Marseille held on to win 4-3 and take all three points, but the disputed penalty remained a talking point after the match.

Tochukwu Nnadi’s Marseille future in doubt ahead of January

The controversy comes as Tochukwu Nnadi looks to establish himself in Marseille’s midfield after an injury disrupted the start of his 2026-27 campaign.

The former Zulte Waregem ace has earned more playing time since returning to fitness, starting against Olympiacos in the Europa League before delivering an impressive performance against Angers on October 18.

Nnadi provided an assist in Marseille’s 5-2 win over Angers and played another full 90 minutes in the victory over Le Havre.

Despite his recent run in the team, reports suggest Marseille could consider offers for the 23-year-old when the January 2027 transfer window opens.

The club is facing financial pressure and has competition for places in midfield, a combination that offers little guarantee about Nnadi’s long-term future.

Several European clubs could be interested in Nnadi, with his profile fits for the demands of the Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1.

A full Nigeria international, Nnadi has five Super Eagles caps, the most recent of which came in the 2-1 friendly loss to Portugal in June.