Lyon react to ‘extremely severe’ and ‘unprecedented’ 9-month ban handed to Paulo Fonseca | OneFootball

Yesterday, on the day of his 52nd birthday, Paulo Fonseca was handed a nine-month ban for confronting referee Benoît Millot in the dying moments of Olympique Lyonnais’ 2-1 victory over Stade Brestois at the weekend. The suspension handed down by the LFP means that the Lyon manager is banned from the touchline until November 30. The Portuguese manager is even banned from entering the dressing room before, during and after the game, until September 15th. The ban comes into effect immediately.

The ban could be extended to European competitions with OL still competing in the UEFA Europa League. They face FCSB in the Round of 16 of the competition this evening. Fonseca will be on the touchline for that encounter.  In the wake of the verdict, Lyon put out a press release denouncing the “severity” of the sanction.

Lyon look to appeal Fonseca punishment

“Olympique Lyonnais duly notes the extreme severity, unprecedented nature, and unusual swiftness of the sanction from the disciplinary commission regarding Paulo Fonseca,” said the Ligue 1 side.

The statement concluded: “In light of a sanction that seems dictated by a toxic context surrounding refereeing in France, OL announces that it will immediately study all possible options of recourse. More than ever, the club is united and focused on its sporting objectives.”

The ban comes just one week after Olympique de Marseille president Pablo Longoria was handed a 15-game ban for his outburst after OM’s defeat to AJ Auxerre (3-0), during which the Spaniard decried “corruption” within the French game.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle