In a recent and long interview with the newspaper L’Équipe, Paulo Fonseca spoke about the incident that occurred on March 6 during the match between Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Brestois, which had led him to an inappropriate gesture towards referee Benoît Millot. The OL technician expressed regret at his behaviour, reaffirming that he had been the first to acknowledge his error and that he maintained this position. However, he expressed his dismay at the false accusations and interpretations that followed this event, regretting a lack of fairness in the judgements against him.

Despite his remorse, Paulo Fonseca defends himself from any intention of physical contact with the referee. He insisted that he had only resorted to verbalisation, claiming that he had simply shouted in Mr Millot’s face. He pointed out that the arbitrator’s failure to respond, which had not receded, was evidence that no contact had taken place. The Portuguese considered that he should assume the sanction for inappropriate verbal expression, but rejected any accusation of violence or aggression.

In conclusion, the Olympique Lyonnais coach sought to clarify the circumstances of the incident and defend his position, while acknowledging the seriousness of his behaviour. He tried to put events in perspective, expressing his regret while stressing his lack of aggressive intent towards the referee, in the hope of nuanced perceptions and accusations that circulated after the game.