Lyon Manager Fonseca Receives Nine-Month Suspension for Altercation with Referee

Paulo Fonseca, the coach of Olympique Lyonnais, has been handed a nine-month suspension by the French Professional Football League (FLP) due to a confrontation with referee Benoit Millot during his side’s recent 2-1 Ligue 1 triumph over Brest.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the FLP announced that Fonseca is prohibited from accessing the team bench, the officials’ dressing rooms, and from taking part in any official duties before, during, or after matches until November 30th.

Fonseca received a straight red card following a review of a potential penalty for Brest, which was ultimately not awarded. Millot cited Fonseca’s “intimidating attitude” as the reason for the red card.

“He approached me with an intimidating demeanour, and I made the decision to send him off immediately. The situation escalated,” Millot shared with French sports daily L’Equipe.

Fonseca later expressed regret for his behaviour, which necessitated intervention from Lyon players who had to pull him away from the referee.

Last week, the French referees’ union warned that its members might resign if they or their families felt threatened, following an incident where a match official was met with an “outpouring of hatred” in reaction to remarks made by Olympique de Marseille president Pablo Longoria.