LFP bans Lyon coach Fonseca for 9 months following the headbutt incident with referee Benoît Millot on Sunday.
LFP, LFP, the governing body which oversees Ligue 1, announced that Lyon head coach, Paulo Fonseca, has been suspended for nine months.
During Sunday’s 2-1 league victory against Brest, Fonseca fiercely approached Millot.
According to a statement from the LFP, Fonseca will not be allowed to enter the dugout, the officials’ dressing rooms, or take part in any official activities prior to, during, or following games until November 30. On the occasion of their head coach’s 52nd birthday, Lyon said that they would appeal the decision.
The Ligue 1 team expressed worry over the harshness of Fonseca’s punishment and explained his actions as an emotional outburst with no intention of hurting the referee.
“In light of a sanction that seems to have been dictated by the negative context affecting French refereeing, [Lyon] announce it is studying all possible avenues of appeal,” the statement added.
During Sunday’s game, Onseca was sent off after a review of a possible penalty for Brest, which the Brittany team did not receive. Millot claimed that the Portuguese coach was fired because of his “intimidating attitude.”
Fonseca allegedly intensified the altercation after that, according to the referee: “He had an even more intense attitude, attempting to deliver a blow, in fact.” A blow to the head. After the game, Fonseca, who had only taken over as Lyon’s manager in January after leaving Milan a month earlier, expressed regret for his response.
Last Thursday, the organisation representing referees in France declared that its members would use their right to quit if they or their families were under danger. That followed remarks made by Pablo Longoria, the president of Marseille, that allegedly caused a match official to receive a “outpouring of hatred.” For his remarks, Longoria received a 15-match suspension from the LFP.