Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca handed remarkable NINE-MONTH ban for confronting referee
Paulo Fonseca was sent off in stoppage time of Lyon's 2-1 victory over Brest on Sunday, having squared up to referee Benoit Millot, who was about to review a potential penalty through VAR
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorLyon manager Paulo Fonseca has been banned for NINE MONTHS after physically confronting a referee.
Fonseca, 52, squared up to referee Benoit Millot in stoppage time of Lyon's 2-1 win against Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday. The Portuguese coach was incensed after Millot was called to the VAR monitor to review a potential penalty for Brest.
In a dramatic moment, Fonseca went head-against-head with Millot, shouting in his face as the official pulled out a red card. No penalty was awarded and Lyon secured all three points in Fonseca's fifth game as manager.
But Les Gones' boss will now be suspended from the touchline until November after his punishment was confirmed.
The FLP confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that Fonseca will be banned from the touchline until November 30. The 52-year-old also won't be allowed in the dressing room with Lyon players before and after an official match until September 15.
Explaining the nine-month ban, Sebastien Deneux, president of the disciplinary committee, said: "Mr Fonseca is a Ligue 1 coach. He is above all an educator. It goes without saying that this attitude is strictly incompatible with these functions.
"The committee found that Mr Fonseca's attitude, throwing himself towards the referee, yelling at him, to the point that they found themselves head to head, is an attitude characteristic of intimidating and threatening behaviour."
Fonseca, who was both appointed and sacked by AC Milan earlier this season, apologised for his behaviour in a post-match interview with DAZN. "I apologise for this gesture. I shouldn't do that," he admitted.
Does Paulo Fonseca deserve such a lengthy ban? Have your say in the comments section.
"Football makes us do bad gestures. The match was very difficult. Playing against Brest is always difficult, they are a physical team, they defended a lot. These are very important points."
Millot gave his version of events in an interview with L'Equipe, explaining: "He (Fonseca) rushed toward me with an intimidating attitude and I decided to send him off directly. 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."
Fonseca's ban comes a week after Marseille president Pablo Longoria was handed a whopping 15-match suspension after accusing French referees of corruption following their 3-0 defeat to Auxerre. In Ligue 2, Bastia manager Benoit Tavenot was given a 12-match ban - four of which were suspended - for dragging Pau player Jordy Gaspar off the pitch, resulting in a red card.
Lyon are next in action away to Romanian side FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£35 (was £43)
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.