Lyon manager, Paulo Fonseca, has been handed a nine-month ban by the French Professional Football League (LFP) following his confrontation with referee Benoit Millot during his team’s 2-1 victory over Brest in a Ligue 1 match.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the LFP confirmed that Fonseca would be prohibited from accessing the bench, the officials’ dressing rooms, and participating in any official functions before, during, or after matches until November 30.
Fonseca was shown a red card in stoppage time for his furious reaction to a potential penalty awarded against his team. After being sent off, he approached Millot, getting very close to his face, before being pushed away by Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso. Fonseca attempted to confront the referee again and had to be restrained by several of his players.
The Portuguese coach later expressed remorse for his actions. “I just want to say that I’m sorry for what I did. I shouldn’t have done it,” Fonseca told DAZN. “Maybe we do things that are not right. I’m sorry.”
