Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca could be facing a seven-month ban after physically confronting the referee in his side’s 2-1 win over Brest on Sunday, the latest incident in an ongoing row over the lack of respect shown to match officials in France.
Fonseca was sent off deep into stoppage time for angrily reacting to a potential Brest penalty.
After being red-carded, an irate Fonseca then confronted referee Benoît Millot and leaned in very 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, who could face a lengthy suspension, apologised afterward.
“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.”
The handball decision itself then went to VAR and a penalty was not given.
Millot said Fonseca’s behavior 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.”
This incident came after Marseille president Pablo Longoria accused French referees of “true corruption ” following a defeat last weekend. Longoria was given a 15-match ban.
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
