Lyon head coach Paulo Fonseca was suspended for nine months by French Professional Football League (FPFL) after erupting in argument with referee Benoit Millot during his team’s 2-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 last Sunday.
Fonseca, who joined Lyon in late January, is unavailable until November as he cannot instruct his team on the sidelines during that period. He has also been banned from entering the Lyon dressing room for the next couple of months, until September.
The event happened towards the end of the game when Fonseca, visibly irate at Millot’s refereeing, was shown a red card. Rather than react by turning his back on the situation, the 52-year-old rushed at the referee, shouting in his face in what officials later termed as an act of “intimidation and threatening behavior.”
This was followed with immediate speed by the FPFL, which acted fast to suspend one of the longest suspensions issued to a manager in recent history.
In a statement, FPFL disciplinary committee president Sébastien Deneux strongly condemned Fonseca’s behavior:
“As a coach in Ligue 1, Mr. Fonseca is, above all, a teacher. His behavior—storming up to the referee, yelling at him, and being part of an aggressive face-to-face altercation—is completely unacceptable and not in keeping with his position.”
Fonseca, who was once in command at Roma, Lille, and AC Milan, subsequently owned up to his error after apologizing, stating that his actions were incorrect.
The suspension has, however, been a huge setback for Lyon, which is going through a crucial phase of its campaign. Since taking over from Pierre Sage in late January, Fonseca has won just three games, and Lyon are currently sixth in the Ligue 1 table as they battle for European qualification.
The timing of the suspension is particularly awkward, given that Lyon have a Europa League last-16 first leg away at Steaua Bucharest on Thursday. With their boss now facing sitting in the stands for the rest of his days, Lyon’s coaching staff will need to learn to adapt in a hurry in order to maintain their momentum.
While Fonseca’s absence will definitely impact Lyon’s campaign, the FPFL’s action makes it apparent what the league’s stance is on misconduct, particularly in the handling of match officials.
Whether or not the ban will be appealed remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Lyon will have to navigate a difficult schedule without their manager on the touchline.
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