Give Liverpool the title already! Salah & Nunez bail out clumsy Van Dijk

Ederson howler costly as Forest take charge of top-four battle

When Arsenal v Man Utd was the biggest show in town

City's scorpion-kicking shape-shifter who Chelsea wanted to poach

Chelsea's 'complete' teen signing who could be a €15m bargain

Editors' Picks

West Ham expect Paqueta lifetime ban after spot-fixing hearing

Barcelona's clash with Osasuna postponed after team doctor dies

Antony reaches settlement with Ajax over 'excessive' fines

Six forgotten players who deserve an England recall under Tuchel

'I expect more from him' - Greenwood called out by De Zerbi

Yamal's father received 'death threats' over son's Spain call

Lingard loving life in Seoul & turns tourist in South Korea 

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Fonseca insists he will 'never give up' </li><li>Cried as Lyon scored </li><li>Celebrated with his players </li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

'I will never give up' - Paulo Fonseca denies he physically assaulted referee and vows to fight 'unfair' nine-month ban after Lyon boss bursts into tears while celebrating goal with his players in Europa League win

Superliga

FC FCSB

Universitatea Craiova

Ligue 1

Nice

Lyon

<p><a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/lyon-boss-paulo-fonseca-nine-month-touchline-ban-squaring-up-ligue-1-referee-ugly-confrontation/blte14c771eb6d97771#csd529b643243782c5" target="_blank">Just 24 hours after receiving a nine-month ban for his encounter with the referee during Lyon's clash with Brest</a>, Fonseca managed his side to a 3-1 victory over FCSB, and emotion poured out of him when Nicolas Tagliafico scored and the squad rushed to the head coach to celebrate.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Fonseca's wife has publicly come to his defence, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/political-execution-kateryna-fonseca-decision-suspend-husband-paulo-nine-months-lyon-manager-confrontation-referee/blt1f44e8c770141b43" target="_blank">insisting his ban is akin to a "political execution"</a>, and he has now insisted that he has the support of his players, as he vowed to fight the suspension, which bans him from both the dugout and the dressing room for Ligue 1 fixtures. He has maintained his innocence.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Fonseca told reporters: "I am ready. I will never give up. We have the possibility of appealing to obtain justice. I have the support of my president [John Textor]. I just want to say one thing: I [took] a nine-month suspension for a situation for which I apologised. I see the media circus that continues to say that I committed an assault on the referee. There are the images. I did not touch the referee. I verbally assaulted the referee. But I never committed a physical assault and I had no intention of doing so."</p><p>He added: "I think that the people who decided on this sanction thought about the general situation of French football. I am the person who must pay. I saw what happened in France [for other situations]. The sanctions were different. It's not fair. No one can say otherwise."</p>

WHAT FONSECA SAID

<p>Lyon play Nice on Sunday before the second leg against FCSB. Fonseca will not be on the bench this weekend.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

'I will never give up' - Paulo Fonseca denies he physically assaulted referee and vows to fight 'unfair' nine-month ban after Lyon boss bursts into tears while celebrating goal with his players in Europa League win | Goal.com

Paulo Fonseca cut a defiant figure after managing Lyon to a 3-1 win over FCSB, a day after he was banned for nine months for a clash with a referee.

&apos;I will never give up&apos; - Paulo Fonseca denies he physically assaulted referee and vows to fight &apos;unfair&apos; nine-month ban after Lyon boss bursts into tears while celebrating goal with his players in Europa League win

Next matches