Lyon coach banned until November after referee clash

French League’s disciplinary commission on Wednesday banned new Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca until November after an angry altercation with a referee.

Former AC Milan coach Fonseca has paid a heavy price after seeing red during his side’s 2-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday. Fonseca only replaced the sacked Pierre Sage at the former multiple French champions four weeks ago.

Now he finds himself in the complicated position of being banned from the dugout and the referee’s changing room until November 30.

To compound his plight he has also been banned from entering his own team’s changing rooms until mid-September, the commission’s president Sebastien Deneux announced.

“By throwing himself at the referee and shouting at him (Fonseca) displayed an intimidating and threatening attitude,” Deneux said. The ruling must inevitably cast a doubt over Fonseca’s position as Lyon’s head coach.

Since the Portuguese’s arrival on January 31, he has overseen only three games, an opening defeat to Marseille, a 4-0 win over Reims, and Sunday’s defeat of Brest to leave Lyon in sixth place.

Wednesday’s ruling falls a week after Marseille president Pablo Longoria was banned for 15 matches for accusations of refereeing “corruption” in the aftermath of his side’s 3-0 loss at Auxerre.

“The commission regrets that once again a major figure in Ligue 1 has demonstrated such behaviour,” said Deneux. “Mr Fonseca is a coach in Ligue 1, he is above all a teacher, and it goes without saying this attitude is completely incompatible with his duties.”