Lyon manager, Paulo Fonseca gets 9-month ban for squaring up to a referee in ugly confrontation

Lyon manager, Paulo Fonseca has been suspended from conducting his matchday duties for almost nine months for angrily confronting a referee.

Fonseca, 52, was sent off and pushed his face towards official Benoit Millot during Lyon’s 2-1 win over Brest on 2 March.

In a statement, the French Professional Football League said the Portuguese boss would be barred from accessing the bench, the officials’ dressing rooms, and carrying out any official functions before, during, or after matches until 30 November.

The punishment also prevents him from going to the team dressing room, pitch, tunnel and corridors leading to those areas until 15 September.

Lyon acknowledged “the extreme severity of the unprecedented sanction” and said they were concerned by the speed in which it was imposed.

The seven-time French champions, who are currently sixth in Ligue 1, added they were disappointed Fonseca was “not judged on his actions alone, an emotional reaction, without any clear intention of physically attacking the referee” and were “studying all possible avenues of appeal”.

Fonseca, who apologised after the incident, only took charge of the club on 31 January after leaving AC Milan the previous month.

His side are due to face FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday (17:45 GMT).

He was sent off after a review of a potential penalty for Brest – which was not awarded – for his “intimidating attitude”, according to Millot.

“He jumped at me with an intimidating attitude, and I decided to send him off directly. It continued to spiral out of control,” Millot told French sports newspaper L’Equipe on Monday.

“He had an even more intense attitude, attempting to deliver a blow, in fact. A headbutt. I didn’t even have time to announce the final decision, which turned out to be not awarding a penalty.

“There seemed to be a slight contact of the nose, to be precise.”

Last week, the French referees union said its members would exercise their right to withdraw if they or their families are put at risk after a match official faced an “outpouring of hate” following comments by Marseille president Pablo Longoria.

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