Ligue 1 Referee Kicks Out at Player, Sends Him Off in Nantes vs. PSG
Jan 15, 2018
Nantes' Brazilian defender Diego Carlos (C) receives a red card from French referee Tony Chapron during the French L1 football match between Nantes and Paris Saint-Germain (Paris-SG) at the La Beaujoire stadium in Nantes, western France, on January 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCE (Photo credit should read LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images)
Ligue 1 referee Tony Chapron has been suspended after he kicked out at Nantes' Diego Carlos and then sent the defender off having been accidentally tripped during the Canaries' 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
Get French Football News confirmed the suspension on Monday:
Breaking | Referee Tony Chapron suspended until further notice.
Thomas Bristow in the Mirror had predicted Chapron "could be in big trouble" for what seemed to be a complete overreaction to an accidental collision with Carlos.
The pair were running towards the Nantes box as PSG attacked late on when Brazilian Carlos accidentally clipped Chapron with his leg as the official ran across him.
The 24-year-old immediately held up his hands in apology, but Chapron then kicked out at Carlos from the turf before issuing him his second yellow card of the match, possibly for dissent.
BT Sport Football provided the footage:
⚠️ Stop scrolling and watch this video ⚠️
Referee Tony Chapron kicks out at Diego Carlos and then sends him off in a moment of madness in Ligue 1... 😱 pic.twitter.com/F1Ou6wt8QN
Nantes chairman Waldemar Kita called for the referee to be banned for six months after the clash, although he said he did "not want to believe he did it on purpose."
Speaking on French TV, (h/t France Football, via BBC Sport), he added: "It's a joke. I received 20 text messages from all over the world telling me that this referee is a joke. If I talk too much, I will be summoned by an ethics commission. We have no right to say anything."
French football writer Robin Bairner provided reaction from Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier:
"Diego stumbles, we saw the referee kick him from behind and in addition to a red card gives a foul to #PSG. It was totally absurd... He dared to tell me he slipped." - Nantes' Valentin Rongier on Tony Chapron incident.
PSG eventually claimed all three points from the fixture after Angel Di Maria had put them ahead in the 12th minute.
Neymar was absent through injury, but Kylian Mbappe played a crucial part in the buildup to the goal, as his dummy took a number of defenders out of the game.
After second-placed Monaco drew on Saturday, PSG's lead at the top of Ligue 1 is now at 11 points, while Nantes remained in fifth despite their defeat.
