Lyon Manager Paulo Fonseca Handed 9-Month Ban for Confronting Referee in Heated Exchange

Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca has been suspended from conducting his matchday duties for nearly nine months after angrily confronting a referee.

Fonseca, 52, was sent off and pushed his face toward official Benoit Millot during Lyon’s 2-1 win over Brest on March 2.

In a statement, the French Professional Football League announced that the Portuguese boss would be barred from accessing the bench, the officials’ dressing rooms, and carrying out any official functions before, during, or after matches until November 30.

The punishment also prevents him from entering the team dressing room, pitch, tunnel, and corridors leading to those areas until September 15.

Lyon acknowledged “the extreme severity of the unprecedented sanction” and said they were concerned by the speed in which it was imposed.

The seven-time French champions, who are currently sixth in Ligue 1, added they were disappointed Fonseca was “not judged on his actions alone, an emotional reaction, without any clear intention of physically attacking the referee” and were “studying all possible avenues of appeal”.

Fonseca, who apologized after the incident, took charge of the club on January 31 after leaving AC Milan the previous month.

His side is scheduled to face FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday (17:45 GMT).

He was sent off after a review of a potential penalty for Brest – which was not awarded – 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 French sports newspaper L’Equipe on Monday.

“He had an even more intense attitude, attempting to deliver a blow, in fact. A headbutt. 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.”

Last week, the French referees union stated that its members would exercise their right to withdraw if they or their families are put at risk, following an “outpouring of hate” directed at a match official after comments made by Marseille president Pablo Longoria.