Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca handed 9-month ban for confrontation with referee [video] | OneFootball

The manager of Lyon, Paulo Fonseca, has been hit with the severest of punishments for his behaviour towards a referee in France last week, with the Portuguese boss issued a 9-month ban by Ligue 1’s Disciplinary Committee.

Fonseca angrily confronted official Benoît Millot as he was receiving a red card during Lyon’s 2-1 victory over Brest on Sunday, after which the former Porto manager profusely apologised for his behaviour.

Many prominent figures have come out in support of Fonseca across recent days, including former Lille defender Jose Fonte, Barcelona sporting director and Portugal icon Deco, Croatia legend Dario Srna (who played for Fonseca at Shakhtar Donetsk) and even ex-Roma director Tiago Pinto.

“Paulo Fonseca has always been an exemplary professional, both on and off the pitch,” Deco said earlier this week. “Those who know him are aware of his upright character, his passion for football and the respect he has for everyone involved. Tense situations happen in football, but that does not erase his seriousness and commitment.”

Despite the testimonies, as well as Fonseca’s swift apology and offer to serve community service in the form of meetings with local officials in Lyon, the French authorities have opted to serve the strongest punishment for the altercation on the sidelines at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Fonseca will not be allowed on the bench of any match until November 30, while he is banned from the dressing room before, during and after games until September 15. The punishment comes into effect immediately.

Sébastien Deneux, president of the disciplinary committee, made the following statement:

"The commission deplores that once again, a major figure 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. 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.”

"How can they keep him?"

The decision raises questions over Fonseca’s future in the Lyon job after just five matches. Former France international, Christophe Dugarry, who won the World Cup with Les Blues, commented recently that the coach’s position has become untenable due to the implications of his suspension from the Lyon dugout.

“Hasn’t the Lyon coach seen the media frenzy of the last week?” Dugarry asked. “Where does this guy live, in a cave on the moon? Hasn’t he seen what’s happening with the referees, who are revolting and about to go on strike? Where is he? That’s what shocked me even more than the action. I told myself he was out of touch with reality.

“When I saw what Fonseca did, I was shocked. How can he do that? How can this coach be trusted if he takes seven months off? How can they keep a coach who behaved like this and who gave a more than negative image? The club can forgive him, sanction him and move on. It happens and we can find all the mitigating circumstances. But after that, what do you do? The club will work with the players and he will no longer be on the bench. How can you keep a coach who is not on the bench for several months?”