 On 5 March 2011, the FFF confirmed through an official statement on its website that referees who were scheduled to officiate the 5–6 March matches would be barred from officiating them after it was revealed that the referees, who are all members of the Syndicat des Arbitres de Football Elite (SAFE), the referee's union, would purposely delay the start time of matches in response the overall "profound disrespect for referees from everyone involved in football".On its official website, the FFF regretted SAFE's decision and also accused the group of attempted blackmail.The referees were replaced by their counterparts in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, for the week.