Europa League: Demystifying the rule that denied Rennes a thrilling late goal against Villarreal

In a tumultuous turn of events during Thursday's Europa League clash against Villarreal, Rennes manager Julien Stephan found himself on an "emotional elevator" as his team's late equalizer was dramatically ruled out due to a relatively obscure football rule.

3 things you need to know 

• Villarreal beat Rennes 3-2 in Group F match 
• Lorenz Assignon 37' and Ludovic Blas 79' scored for Rennes 
• Gerard Moreno 36' (P), Ilias Akhomach 62', and Dani Parejo 80' scored for Villareal 

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Unravelling drama of late equaliser disallowed

In the eleventh minute of stoppage time, Enzo le Fee's free-kick struck the post and returned to the midfield player. Lorenz Assignon found the net after Le Fee quickly brought the ball back into the box. The Rennes players went wild, relishing what looked like a dramatic comeback equalizer. Their joy, though, was fleeting.

Rennes' hopes were dashed as the goal was disallowed following a VAR review. The general consensus among fans in the French stadium was that offside had something to do with the ruling, but a closer examination uncovered a less well-known component of the rules.

The goal was disallowed for reasons other than offside, unlike what the public believes. Rather, it was the outcome of a little-known regulation that states the player who takes a free kick cannot be the first to touch the ball once again. In this case, the VAR-enforced ruling resulted from Enzo le Fee's second touch with the ball after his free kick.

Expressing his astonishment, Julien Stephan admitted (quoted by Reuters), 

"I knew the rule existed for penalties, I didn't know it existed for free kicks." The information left Rennes and their manager scratching their heads over the nuances of the game's rules, adding another level of complexity to an already emotional situation.

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Villarreal's Triumph and Ramifications

Villarreal's triumph pushed them to the top of Group F and guaranteed them a spot in the round of 16. Rennes, on the other hand, dropped to second place and now has to contend with a playoff matchup against a team that is dropping out of the Champions League in order to qualify.

Rennes is left wondering what might have happened in this emotional rollercoaster of unanticipated rules as Villarreal celebrates their victory, setting up an exciting end in Group F.