Lyon’s coach, Paulo Fonseca, is facing increased examination after his strong reaction during Lyon’s 2-1 victory over Brest. Fonseca was visibly angered by a decision from referee Benoit Millot and directly confronted him.
This Wednesday, Fonseca, previously manager at Lille, will appear before the LFP disciplinary committee due to his outburst towards the referee. He could potentially receive a 7-month suspension. Fonseca has publicly apologized in writing and offered to do community service to take responsibility for his actions, but it’s uncertain if this will be enough to prevent a significant punishment.
An aspect Fonseca is unlikely to emphasize in his defense is the personal difficulties he is currently experiencing. The former Shakhtar Donetsk coach is dealing with a strained relationship with his wife’s parents, who live in Ukraine. His wife, who is Ukrainian, and their children are currently residing in Italy, adding to his personal challenges. These personal burdens, combined with distance and uncertainty, seem to be significantly affecting Fonseca.
Despite these circumstances, they are not expected to influence the disciplinary action Fonseca might face. Having been previously criticized for outbursts against officials, the former AC Milan coach has faced accusations of being confrontational and reacting aggressively to referees.
However, individuals who have worked with and for Fonseca disagree with this perception. José Fonte, a former Lille defender, believes these reactions are uncharacteristic of Fonseca, stating, “Paulo has always been a respectful, polite and professional person. Everyone who has worked with him knows this. This was an unusual and exceptional situation, and I am confident it will not happen again.”
Fonte’s view is shared by others who have worked closely with Fonseca, including Deco and Tiago Pinto, his former sporting director at Roma. Deco, now Barcelona’s sporting director, commented, “Paulo Fonseca has consistently been a model professional, both on and off the field. Stressful moments occur in football, but they do not negate Paulo Fonseca’s dedication and seriousness in the sport.”
Pinto, currently sporting director at Bournemouth, said, “The incident in the Brest match in no way reflects Paulo’s personality; in my opinion, it is an isolated event. I believe a combination of unique factors led Paulo to behave as he did.”
It is suggested that Fonseca is being affected by the ongoing geopolitical situation in Ukraine, particularly heightened by discussions involving US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This might provide insight into the increased stress that contributed to the incident with Millot.