Lyon Manager Paulo Fonseca Suspended for Nine Months After Confronting Referee

Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca has been suspended from matchday duties for nearly nine months after angrily confronting referee Benoit Millot during his side’s 2-1 win over Brest on March 2.

The 52-year-old Portuguese coach was sent off after pushing his face towards Millot, an incident that led to a severe punishment from the French Professional Football League (LFP). In a statement on Wednesday, the LFP announced that Fonseca would be barred from the bench, officials’ dressing rooms, and any official match-related duties until November 30. Additionally, he cannot enter the team dressing room, pitch, tunnel, or surrounding corridors until September 15.

Lyon acknowledged “the extreme severity of the unprecedented sanction” and expressed concern over the speed of the decision. The club, currently sixth in Ligue 1, argued Fonseca was “not judged on his actions alone, an emotional reaction, without any clear intention of physically attacking the referee” and is “studying all possible avenues of appeal.”

Fonseca, who apologized for the incident, took charge of Lyon on January 31 after leaving AC Milan the previous month. His team is set to face FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday (17:45 GMT).

Millot described Fonseca’s behavior as “intimidating” and claimed the coach “jumped at me” before attempting a headbutt. “There seemed to be a slight contact of the nose, to be precise,” he told L’Équipe on Monday.

The controversy comes amid growing tensions between referees and club officials in France. Last week, the French referees’ union warned that its members could withdraw from matches if they or their families face threats. The statement followed an incident involving Marseille president Pablo Longoria, who accused officials of “true corruption” after a 3-0 defeat to Auxerre, resulting in his own 15-match ban.