This Thursday evening at 9 p.m. Olympique Lyonnais faces Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the Europa League at Groupama Stadium. This important meeting for Lyonnais also represents a real breath of fresh air for the coach of the Paulo Fonseca club!
Deprived of a bench in Ligue 1 since the incident with the referee of the OL-Brest meeting, last March, the Portuguese will finally be able to exercise his profession as it should be this Thursday evening. Indeed, even if the Gones coach has the prohibition to access the benches of Ligue 1 for nine months, he can access the benches during the Europa League matches because the sanction pronounced by the LFP has no impact on the matches supervised by the UEFA.
In an interview with English daily The GuardianPaulo Fonseca returned to this sanction which he deems unfair without denying his gesture: ” Of course, what I did was not correct and I have to pay for it. But I shouted on the referee, I did not have any contact with him and I did not commit violence. We want to make me an example for French football, I think I pay not for what I have done but for the moment we live. But I shouldn't be an example, I should just pay for what I did. »»
The sentence of Paulo Fonseca soon reduced?
Suspended nine months, we should theoretically see Paulo Fonseca on the benches of Ligue 1 before next December. However, this sentence could be reduced. Indeed, the former LOSC coach had appealed this decision to the French National Olympic Sports Committee (CNSP).
The team reports that the consultation hearing will take place on May 6. Nevertheless, the decision which will be made at the end of this hearing will have an advisory notice. It will be up to the LFP to decide whether it wishes to follow the decision of the CNSP or if it chooses to maintain the sentence initially planned.
