Paulo Fonseca, the head coach of French soccer team Olympique Lyonnais, has been given a nine-month suspension after confronting a referee – a sanction the club described as “severe” and “unprecedented.

(Reuters) -Olympique Lyonnais coach Paulo Fonseca has been suspended for nine months by the French Professional Football League (LFP), following a confrontation with referee Benoit Millot during his team's recent 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Brest.

Yesterday, on the day of his 52nd birthday, Paulo Fonseca was handed a nine-month ban for confronting referee Benoît Millot in the dying moments of Olympique Lyonnais’ 2-1 victory over Stade