Referee pays the price for his kick
– The referee who kicked a player during a Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended “until further notice”, the French Football Federation (FFF) said yesterday.
Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday’s game against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when the pair collided in a bizarre incident.
Chapron then showed the player a second yellow card.
The FFF’s technical committee of referees said Chapron had been “withdrawn until further notice” and would be called to appear before a disciplinary commission.
He has been taken off refereeing duties for tomorrow’s Ligue 1 game between Angers and Troyes.
The FFF statement added that 45-year-old Chapron had reviewed video footage of the incident and “noted that his fall had been caused accidentally.”
Footage quickly went viral across the world.
Chapron and Diego Carlos were racing to catch up with a breakaway by PSG’s Kylian Mbappe as the game, which the visitors won 1-0, moved into stoppage time at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
The referee appeared to cut across the Brazilian defender, sending both to the floor.
As he got up, Chapron kicked the player, catching him on his right foot. He then started to walk away before turning around and brandishing a second yellow card. He also awarded PSG a freekick.
“He told me he had never wanted to kick the player and that he had felt himself pushed in the back,” said Nantes president Waldemar Kita. –