Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca has been suspended for 9 months by the French Skilled Soccer League (FLP) following his violent confrontation with a referee.
Fonseca was seen squaring as much as and screaming within the face of official Benoit Millot because the referee despatched the supervisor off throughout Lyon’s 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Brest on Sunday.
The FLP stated in a press release on Wednesday that Fonseca will probably be barred from the touchline till November 30, whereas he isn’t allowed to be within the dressing room with Lyon gamers earlier than and after an official sport till September 15.
The altercation left the official frightened. In an interview with L’Equipe, Millot stated: “He jumped at me with an intimidating attitude, and I decided to send him off directly. It continued to spiral out of control.
“He had an much more intense angle, trying to ship a blow, in actual fact. A headbutt. I did not even have time to announce the ultimate choice, which turned out to be not awarding a penalty. There gave the impression to be a slight contact of the nostril, to be exact.”
The punishment doesn’t influence European competitions with Lyon because of face Steaua Bucharest within the Europa League final 16 on Thursday night time, however the ban may lengthen to continental competitions ought to France’s soccer authorities refer the case to UEFA and FIFA.
Fonseca has been Lyon supervisor since January 31 after he was sacked by AC Milan a month earlier. He was handed the ban on the identical day as his 52nd birthday.
Explaining the nine-month ban, Sebastien Deneux, president of the disciplinary committee stated: “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 discovered that Mr Fonseca’s angle, throwing himself in direction of the referee, yelling at him, to the purpose that they discovered themselves face to face, is an angle attribute of intimidating and threatening behaviour.”
Fonseca apologised for his behaviour in his press convention following the sport in opposition to Brest. Lyon must proceed their season – by which they sit sixth in Ligue 1 – with out their supervisor.
It’s the newest prolonged ban handed out to a key determine in France. Final week, Marseille president Pablo Longoria was given a 15-match ban after accusing French referees of corruption following a 3-0 defeat to Auxerre.
In Ligue 2, Bastia supervisor Benoit Tavenot was given a 12-match ban – 4 of which have been suspended – for dragging Pau participant Jordy Gaspar off the pitch and getting a purple card.
