A Ligue 1 manager is reportedly facing a four-month ban after fighting an opposition player in a touchline fracas that broke out during Lille ’s goalless draw with Metz.
Frederic Antonetti is in his second spell in charge of Metz, but has been unable to drag them out of the relegation zone this season, with last Friday’s draw leaving them second bottom of the French top-flight.
Tensions boiled over at the Stade Pierre Mauroy after Lille star Edon Zhegrova was sent off in stoppage time, with a fight breaking out on the touchline between the two teams.
Antonetti himself was involved, with the Metz boss coming to blows with Lille sporting director Sylvain Armand and being sent off by referee Bastien Dechepy in the aftermath.
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It was Antonetti’s third red card of the season and leaves him facing a heavy sanction by the French football authorities, the LFP.
According to RMC Sport, an investigation is set to be launched on Wednesday by the LFP’s disciplinary committee.
It is stated that the committee could hand Antonetti a ban between either two matches, for excessive behaviour, and four months, for ‘attempted brutality’.
The body are set to examine footage taken by broadcaster Amazon Prime, who had an isolated camera on Antonetti at the game.
Antonetti launched a furious defence of his actions following the game, accusing Lille players and staff of ‘attacking’ him.
“Why are we putting pressure? They have nothing to do in the box. You want me to let myself go and we lose the match on a pressure shot?” he fumed.
“Because that's what happens [...] I do not condone my behaviour. I say that when I am attacked, I respond.
“If I slap you, do you respond or not? Me when I am attacked, I respond I said to leave us alone and finish the match! They want to win the match by force and it happens too often.
“And you condone that, you! You are complicit! You blame me. You talk about image! French football but when there are two leaders who come, you don't say anything.”
Metz have since released a statement giving their full backing to their under-fire boss, reiterating the stance that the unsavoury scenes were caused by Lille.
Antonetti has also been defended by the French managers’ union the UNECATEF, who called for understanding of the situation.
“YES he is hot-headed, YES he is under pressure, YES the sense of injustice with him is often thin-skinned, YES he can’t stand provocation,” a statement by UNECATEF read.
“YES sometimes he forgets that he is representing his bench, YES his reactions are sometimes excessive but Fred Antonetti has been working for decades and even back in the day we weren’t caged in our technical area.
“We have put a lion in cage and then we’ve gone and wound him up. Can we silently accept pressure from the opposition on the referee in a tense match that could decide the fate of a season?”
