Paulo Fonseca (52), the Olympique Lyonnais manager who protested vehemently against the referee's decision, received a punishment of 9 months.

The British 'BBC' reported on the 6th (Korea time) citing the announcement of the French Professional Football League (LFP) disciplinary committee, stating that "Fonseca was punished and will be unable to participate in matches for approximately 9 months due to his vehement protest to the referee."

The LFP did announce, "Access to the locker room, stadium, tunnel, and all passages connected to those areas will be prohibited until September 15."

It further noted, "Access to the bench, referee waiting room, and player locker room will be prohibited until November 30, as well as any official duties."

On the 2nd, Fonseca received a red card after protesting against the referee's decision and operations during the 7 minutes of stoppage time in the home match against Brest for the 2024-2025 French Ligue 1 Round 24 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in France.

A Lyon defender handled the ball while blocking a shot from the opponent within the penalty area. Brest claimed a penalty, but the assistant referee declared offside. Referee Benoit Millot confirmed the offside after conducting an on-field review and the match ended.

Lyon won the match 2-1, but Fonseca could not calm his excitement and received a dismissal decision. Fonseca then threatened referee Millot by leaning in close to his face. Eventually, players and staff had to restrain Fonseca.

Fonseca, a Portuguese native, took over Lyon in January. He is a veteran manager who has previously managed FC Porto, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, AS Roma, Lille OSC, and AC Milan. Although he gained recognition at Shakhtar, he has not achieved good results since then.

After the match, Fonseca said in an interview with 'DAZN', "I would like to apologize for such behavior. It was something that should not have happened. Football sometimes drives people crazy. It was a difficult match."

Referee Millot noted in an interview with the French 'L'Équipe', "He came at me in a threatening manner, and I immediately issued a dismissal. The situation became increasingly uncontrollable thereafter."

He added, "His attitude became even more aggressive, and he actually attempted to attack. It seemed like he was trying to headbutt me. I didn't even have time to announce my final decision. In the end, a penalty was not declared," explaining, "It appeared that his nose slightly bumped into me."

This punishment puts Lyon in a dilemma. They have to continue the rest of the season without a manager. At the same time, it will affect the next season as well. They will need to appoint a new manager or organize an acting system.

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