At a press conference prior to a trip to Auxerre, Paulo Fonseca reiterated his dissatisfaction with the disciplinary sanction that deprived him of any official office until 30 November 2025. This severe suspension was the result of an incident in the match between Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Brestois on March 2, where the Portuguese coach, visibly overtaken by Benoît Millot’s arbitration, had inappropriate behaviour, leading to a confrontation with the referee and a red card. In addition to the suspension, he was denied access to the changing rooms before and after the meetings until 15 September 2025, a restriction which he considered particularly harmful.

In the face of this decision, which he calls unfair and incomprehensible, Paulo Fonseca expresses his hope that his sanction will be reduced, considering it disproportionate to other offences committed in the world of football. He insisted that he wished to take responsibility for his actions, but refused to feel instrumentalized as an example. Stressing his respect for the work of the referees and the French football, he stressed that he had received a single red card in three seasons spent in France, which, according to him, made the severity of the sanction even more difficult to understand.

The club of Olympique Lyonnais undertook to officially challenge this sanction, and Paulo Fonseca, expressing his confidence in justice, said he was ready to explain the situation. He expressed his commitment to the possibility of access to changing rooms, a privilege which he considered essential to his role as a coach and which, in his view, was unjustifiably denied. He concluded by reaffirming his sense of being used as an example, which he considers unacceptable.