Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca slapped with nine-month ban for confronting referee

Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca slapped with nine-month ban for confronting referee

Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca has been slapped with a nine-month suspension by the French Professional Football League (FLP) following his confrontation with referee Benoit Millot during his team’s recent 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Brest.

The FLP said in a statement on Wednesday that Fonseca will be barred from accessing the bench, the officials’ dressing- rooms, and participating in any official functions before, during, or after matches until November 30.

Fonseca was given his marching orders deep into stoppage time for angrily reacting to a potential Brest penalty.

After the red card, Fonseca confronted Millot and leaned in close to his face before being pushed away by Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso. Fonseca tried to confront the referee a second time and was restrained by a couple of Lyon players.

The Portuguese coach apologised afterwards.

“I just want to say that I’m sorry for what I did. I should not do it,” Fonseca told broadcaster DAZN. “Maybe we do things that are not right. I’m sorry.”

Millot said Fonseca’s behaviour was unacceptable.

“He rushed toward me with an intimidating attitude, and I decided to send him off directly,” he told sports daily L’Équipe. “There was, it seems, a slight contact with the nose. [It was] a particularly intimidating, aggressive attitude, which one can hardly imagine from a professional coach.”

The French referees’ union said last week that its members would exercise their right to resign if they or their families were in danger after a match official faced an “outpouring of hatred” following comments made by Marseille president Pablo Longoria.

(with inputs from Reuters)