Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca has been suspended for nine months 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 Nov. 30.
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 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 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.”
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
