John Textor, the American owner of Lyon, has extended his unwavering support to Paulo Fonseca despite the manager receiving a nine-month ban for confronting a referee, declaring that the Portuguese coach is, “the right man for Lyon.”
Fonseca, previously at AC Milan, faced serious repercussions following his clash with referee Benoit Millot during a 2-1 victory over Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday, where he touched heads with the official.
On Wednesday, the French League’s disciplinary commission handed down a ban preventing him from the dugout and the referee’s changing area until November.
To make matters worse, he’s also prohibited from entering his own team’s changing rooms until mid-September.
This certainly wasn’t the most auspicious way to celebrate his 52nd birthday.
The substantial setback, occurring shortly after taking over from Pierre Sage as manager, has understandably raised questions about his future at Lyon.
However, Textor swiftly quashed any speculation of an imminent departure from the club, which currently sits in sixth place in Ligue 1.
“Happy Birthday, Paulo! I stand with you today and always,” Textor wrote on social media following the commission’s announcement.
“You made a mistake, your apology was sincere, and the punishment is clearly excessive.
“You are the right man for Lyon, and we shall persevere.”
In their decision, the French League’s disciplinary commission noted that “by confronting the referee and shouting at him, (Fonseca) exhibited an intimidating and threatening demeanour.”
Lyon has condemned what they termed “the extreme severity of the sanction” and indicated they are considering “all possible remedies.”
The former champions of France will be in action on Thursday in the Europa League, with Fonseca still able to coach in that competition, as his ban is limited to domestic events.
The ruling concerning Fonseca came just a week after Marseille president Pablo Longoria was handed a 15-match ban for alleging “corruption” among referees following his team’s 3-0 defeat against Auxerre.
Sebastien Deneux, head of the French league’s disciplinary commission, expressed regret that “once again a prominent figure in Ligue 1 has exhibited such conduct.”
“Mr Fonseca is a coach in Ligue 1; above all, he is a teacher, and this attitude is entirely incompatible with his responsibilities,” he added.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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