After yelling in referee Benoit Millot’s face during the closing moments of Olympique Lyonnais’ 2-1 victory over Stade Brestois in Ligue 1, Paulo Fonseca, the former manager of AC Milan and AS Roma, faces a severe seven-month suspension.
While his team was in control of the match, Fonseca, who had discussions with West Ham United before to Graham Potter’s appointment, was sent off by the man in the middle on Sunday afternoon for dissent during the second half stoppage time.
Millot had been given a yellow card earlier, and with seconds remaining, he dug into his back pocket and sent the touchline manager off. But when Fonseca, who was born in Mozambique, confronted Millot and yelled in his face, the situation worsened.
Some Lyon players, most notably Corentin Tolisso, were available to diffuse the situation as it escalated, but he chose to head straight for the referee again as he retreated. Members of his team stood between them once more.
Vu la jurisprudence "Pablo Longoria", Paulo Fonseca va prendre 30 matchs de suspension. pic.twitter.com/lLn5fYbmVb
— Salim Lamrani (@SalimLamraniOff) March 2, 2025
Fonseca’s fiery personality took over earlier in the Ligue 1 matchup. He was cautioned before losing, and his late-game actions may now result in a lengthy stint away from the dugout.
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The disciplinary committee is expected to render a verdict on Monday morning, and the former central defender-turned-manager is probably going to be banned for a maximum of seven months, according to the French daily RMC Sport.
“The LFP disciplinary committee has to make a decision this Monday morning, but it’s likely that Paulo Fonseca will be called this Wednesday and find out how long he will be suspended—likely for several months—right away.”
Fonseca expressed regret for his conduct even as he revelled in his team’s spectacular success. He lauded Brest and said that the hardships of football lead people to do regretful things in an interview with DAZN via RMC Sport.
I’m sorry for this gesture. I shouldn’t act in that way. We make horrible gestures because of football. It was a really tough match. Brest is a muscular club that plays a lot of defence, so playing against them is never easy. These are crucial points.
After scoring two goals and earning three points at home, Lyon captain Alexandre Lacazette, who is considered to be among the greatest French players in Arsenal’s history, said that all of the team is behind the 51-year-old.
It’s a component of football. He will likely regret this gesture, in my opinion, but we’ll have to wait and see what the disciplinary committee has to say. Tension is the cause. There are numerous dubious options. Sometimes you can accomplish things when you live the contest. All of us support the coach.
Fonseca took over Serie A powerhouse AC Milan at the start of the 2024–25 season before being fired in December when the Rossoneri were in ninth place. Nevertheless, Lyon was able to hire him quickly.
Whether he is on the touchline or not, he will be aiming to transfer momentum into their next game. As of this writing, he has won three of his five games as manager of the Groupama Stadium-based team since his switch.
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