The Romanian referee, Istvan Kovacs, was the star of the match between PSG and AS Monaco: the official was hit by Neves and made decisions that stirred the French press.

In the match between PSG and AS Monaco, Istvan Kovacs had a controversial performance, being involved in an incident where he was accidentally hit by Ruben Neves. Midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly was "hit" in turn by Kovacs with a red card, after receiving two yellow cards (in the 53rd and 58th minutes). Although AS Monaco fans criticized the Romanian referee, accusing him of favoring PSG, the press in France, including the publication Le Monde, stated that Kovacs' decision was correct. Coulibaly received his first yellow card for a tackle from behind on Nuno Mendes, and the second for a late tackle on Achraf Hakimi. Despite the protests of captain Zakaria, Kovacs continued the match without yielding to the pressure from the fans.

Gică Popescu accused a double standard in Kovacs' decisions on this occasion, comparing them to those in the Champions League, where he was considered impeccable. Popescu pointed out that, in the match FC Argeș - Farul, Kovacs avoided giving a second yellow card, which could have changed the outcome of the game. He suggested that teams that create a scandal have a better chance of benefiting from fair officiating, while Farul did not resort to such tactics. Popescu's criticisms reflect a general dissatisfaction with the officiating in Liga 1, emphasizing the inconsistencies in refereeing decisions.