Former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca given nine-month ban after referee confrontation | OneFootball

Ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, the current manager of Lyon, has been hit with a nine-month suspension following an altercation with referee Benoit Millot.

The French Football Association has barred the 52 year-old from the touchline, as well as the officials’ dressing rooms, before, during, and after matches until 30-November. Additionally, he is prohibited from accessing the players’ dressing rooms, the pitch, and the tunnel during the same periods until 15-September.

The suspension applies to all French competitions effective immediately.

The punishment stems from Fonseca’s actions during stoppage time in Lyon’s 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Brest on Sunday. In the final moments of the match, a VAR review was conducted, ultimately leading referee Millot to decide against awarding Brest a penalty.

Before the decision was officially announced, Fonseca, who was appointed in late January after his dismissal from Milan, was shown a straight red card.

He then angrily confronted Millot, making head-to-head contact with the referee while speaking. Lyon players quickly intervened, pulling Fonseca away from the official.

In response, the French giants released a statement expressing their concern over what they described as an “extremely severe and unprecedented” punishment, criticising the disciplinary committee’s swift ruling.

The club also suggested that Fonseca’s reaction was emotional rather than intentionally aggressive, stating:

“We regret that our coach was not judged solely on his actions, which were an emotional reaction rather than a deliberate attempt to physically attack the referee.”

Lyon are now exploring all possible options for an appeal.