Paolo Fonseca facing huge ban for referee intimidation amid allegations of trying to headbutt the official after red card.
Paolo Fonseca, could face a suspension of up to seven months following his confrontation with the referee Benoît Millot.
Following a review of a possible penalty for Brest, which the Brittany team did not receive, Fonseca was issued a red card 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 the French sports daily L’Equipe.
“He had an even more intense attitude, attempting to deliver a blow, in fact. A head-butt. 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.”
Although Fonseca expressed regret, the Portuguese midfielder could face a punishment under the rules of the French professional league (LFP) for his outburst, which ended when Lyon players forced him away from Millot.
The French referees’ union announced last week that its members would use their right to “withdraw” if they or their families were in danger after a match official received a “pouring of hate” in response to remarks made by Pablo Longoria, the president of Marseille.
According to local media, Longoria claimed that they had protested the use of referee Jérémy Stinat for their league match against Auxerre on February 22, which they lost 3-0. Longoria claimed that “true corruption” was the reason for the loss and voiced his ire at defender Derek Cornelius’ red card.
The LFP handed Longoria a 15-match ban for his comments last Wednesday.