Olympique Lyon: Trainer Fonseca receives nine-month lock for referee confrontation

Olympique Lyon: Trainer Fonseca receives nine-month lock for referee confrontation

CNN-The coach of the French Football Association Olympique Lyonnais, Paulo "> Fonseca , was occupied with a nine -month lock after confronting a referee. The association described the sanction as "serious" and "without precedent".

incident after the game against Brest

fonseca immediately opposed the referee Benoit Millot and insulted him when the red card was shown. He was then paid by his players.

sanctions of the LFP

On Wednesday, the French Professional League (LFP) announced that Fonseca will not have access to the replacement bench, the changing rooms of the official and official functions before, during and after the games. Furthermore, the trainer has no access to the changing rooms of the players, the field, the stadium tunnel and all corridors that lead to these areas by September 15th.

European games excluded from the lock

The lock does not apply to European competitions, according to the Associated press . This means that Fonseca can look after the team on Thursday against the Romanian team FCSB in the K.O. round of UEFA Europa League.

response to the decision

In a YouTube-video , praised the Ligue 1 millot "extraordinary" stability in handling Fonseca’s "violent behavior". The French referee association (Safe) described the contact with a game officials as an "act of brutality". Fonseca had reacted violently to the review of a possible penalty for Brest in added time, which was ultimately not given. He later apologized in his press conference after the game for his behavior.

club point for the sanctions

Last week Safe said that members reserve the right to withdraw if they or their relatives are put in danger due to attacks on officials. The sanction comes into force immediately, three days after the original incident.

"Olympique Lyonnais recognizes the extreme severity of the unprecedented sanction and the unusual speed with which the disciplinary committee reacted to Paulo Fonseca," said the club in a message on Wednesday. "The association regrets that its trainer has not been assessed exclusively on his actions, an emotional reaction, without obvious intentions to attack the referee physically. In view of a sanction that was apparently dictated by a harmful environment in French referee, OL announces that the association is united and focused on its sporting goals."

personal reactions and current situation

When Lyon congratulated Fonseca's birthday on his Instagram stories on Wednesday, owner John Textor recognized that the trainer had made a mistake and apologized, added: "Your punishment is clearly too hard. You are the right man for OL and we will stay tun." Meanwhile, Posted Fonseca’s Wife, Katerina, on Her Instagram Stories: “9 months for a few seconds shouting? An absurd, absolutely scandalous, unprecedented decision.”

In addition to her goal of going beyond the round of the last 16 in the Europa League, Lyon is currently in sixth place in Ligue 1.