Marseille’s appeal against Medhi Benatia’s three-month suspension has failed. The French Football Association (FA) reviewed the former Moroccan international’s penalty today. Benatia, previously a defender for Bayern Munich and Juventus, was ejected from a tense French Cup match against Lille OSC following an incident with fourth official Jérémy Stinat. He was subsequently banned for three months on January 30th. Last month, Marseille president Pablo Longoria expressed strong anger during the team’s Ligue 1 away defeat to Auxerre, due to several decisions by Stinat that went against Marseille. Longoria received a 15-match suspension.
Despite this decision, Marseille will appeal Benatia’s suspension again, this time to the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee), France’s highest sporting body, seeking a “coherent and proportionate decision”. Marseille maintains that Benatia’s ban is unjust and excessive, stating that “broadcast images clearly show that their Director of Football did not act threateningly towards the fourth referee in the French Cup match against LOSC”.