Former Leicester Ranieri coach was incested by Payet’s actions, which resumed playing without turning the ball back to Nantes after it was initially initiated to allow Nicolas Pallois and Ciprian Tatarusanu to receive treatment.

When the game was relaunched, the former West Ham man, Payet, continued with Florent Thauvin, who scored a corner from a corner shortly before he could stay 1-1 for the home side.

After game Ranieri Ranieri said: “I think Dimitri Payet had to return the ball just before finishing it, so I wanted to see if he would give it back.

“There are players, classes, gentlemen, and then there are others who keep the ball instead of returning it, but again, it’s football.”

Payet then responded to Ranieri’s comments, saying he is a fair player and insisting the Nantes players went down without any contact.

“I am a fair-play player,” Payet said. “I do not push too much. When I saw the goalkeeper and the defender go down without contact, at some point, we have to stop. We have played and scored.

“Now we are going to say that is justice.”