Lyon manager handed one of the longest managerial bans in history after furious reaction in Ligue 1 win
Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca has been handed a huge ban after his outburst during his side's clash against Brest.
On Sunday, Lyon were in Ligue 1 action as they welcomed Brest to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Former Arsenal man Alexandre Lacazette was the star of the show as he scored twice to seal a 2-1 win for Lyon, Kenny Lala was the scorer for the visitors.
However, the victory was marred as Lyon boss Fonseca was sent off for dissent after he appeared to shove his face into referee Benoit Millot, which was reportedly considered as an attempted headbutt.
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Speaking to French news outlet L'Equipe, Millot said of the incident: "He jumped at me with an intimidating attitude, and I decided to send him off directly. It continued to spiral out of control.
"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."
As reported by the Daily Express, Fonseca has now been handed a mammoth suspension.
The French professional league have banned Fonseca from entering the changing before, during or after matches until September 15.
In addition, the Portuguese has a touchline ban until November 29.
The president of the disciplinary committe, Sebastien Denuex, said: "The commission deplores that once again, a major player in Ligue 1 has adopted such behaviour and renounced a requirement and an ambition of responsibility. Mr Fonseca is a Ligue 1 coach. He is above all an educator. It goes without saying that this attitude is strictly incompatible with these functions.
"The committee found that Mr Fonseca's attitude, throwing himself towards the referee, yelling at him, to the point that they found themselves head to head, is an attitude characteristic of intimidating and threatening behaviour."
He added: "The committee therefore sanctions Mr Fonseca with a suspension from the touchline and referee's locker room until 30 November 2025. Because it also finds that this is a serious misconduct, this sanction will also cover access to his own locker room before, during and after the match until 15 September 2025."
Marcus Chan