Fonseca, the coach of Lyon, was suspended for nine months

The French Professional Football League (LFP) has given Olympique Lyonnais coach Paulo Fonseca a nine-month suspension for an altercation with referee Benoit Millot during the team’s most recent 2-1 Ligue 1 victory against Brest.

Fonseca will not be allowed to use the bench, the officials’ locker rooms, or take part in any official activities prior to, during, or following games until November 30, the LFP announced in a statement on Wednesday.

After reviewing a possible penalty for Brest, which the Brittany team did not receive, Millot said that Fonseca’s “intimidating attitude” earned him a straight red card.

“I chose to dismiss him right away because he approached me with a menacing demeanor. Millot told the French sports daily L’Equipe, “It got out of hand.”

After Lyon teammates shoved him away from the referee, Fonseca apologized for his outburst.

Lyon expressed worry about the harshness and speed of the punishment meted out to Fonseca.

They expressed disapproval with the ruling, claiming that the manager’s actions—which they characterized as an emotional response devoid of malicious intent—were not the only basis for judging him.

“In light of a sanction that seems to have been dictated by the negative context affecting French refereeing, (Lyon) announced that it is studying all possible avenues of appeal,” the club said in a statement.

After a match official received a “outpouring of hatred” due to remarks made by Pablo Longoria, the president of Olympique de Marseille, the French referees’ organization announced last week that its members would exercise their right to leave if they or their families were in danger.