On the evening of March 2, Lyon faced Brest in Ligue 1. At the end of the match, coach Paulo Fonseca had an argument with referee Benoit Millot. Previously, Mr. Fonseca received a yellow card at the beginning of the match due to overreactions.
In extra time, when Millot watched the VAR screen to check the possibility of awarding a penalty to Brest, coach Fonseca was very angry. Referee Millot showed a red card to send Fonseca off the field.
The Portuguese coach rushed forward and shouted at the referee. He is currently facing a 7-month suspension according to the tournament's regulations.
His explosive actions violated Article 8 of the French Football Management Agency (LFP) on threatening behavior. The regulation clearly states that acts of "fear, every word, gesture and/or attitude that causes fear, expressing the intention to infringe upon the integrity of the body of others" are prohibited.
After the match, coach Fonseca apologized for his explosive actions. He said: "I apologize for this action. I shouldn't do that. Football made me not behave calmly. The match was really difficult."
Fonseca began leading Lyon after being sacked by AC Milan in January. Lyon are currently 6th in the Ligue 1 rankings.
