Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo was provisionally suspended for allegedly pushing referee Alexandre Castro after PSG’s Ligue 1 game at the weekend, the French League (LFP) said on Tuesday.
Television footage showed Brazilian Leonardo bumping into Castro with his left shoulder in the Parc des Princes tunnel after PSG drew 1-1 with Valenciennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
“The [disciplinary] commission ... will investigate the matter and given the seriousness of the facts, bans Leonardo provisionally as of Wednesday, May 8,” the LFP said in a statement.
Photo: AFP
Leonardo denied pushing the referee, saying he had been pushed toward Castro by the match delegate.
“Let me tell you something: I am the one who was assaulted and I will ask for that delegate to be suspended,” the Brazilian, who could face a one-year ban, told Le Parisien on Tuesday.
PSG centerback Thiago Silva was also handed a two-game ban for the straight red card he was shown for touching Castro while contesting a decision in the 42nd minute of Sunday’s game.
The LFP’s decision means the Brazilian defender will only be available for the final game of the season, missing Sunday’s trip to Olympique Lyonnais and a home game against Stade Brestois 29.
It was PSG’s ninth red card of the campaign — more than any other leading side in the top European leagues — and it came a week after David Beckham and Marco Verratti were sent off in a 1-0 win at Evian Thonon Gaillard.
Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu also received a two-game ban for his involvement in a brawl.
Leonardo got a two-match suspended ban from the French federation’s Ethics Committee in November last year for criticizing the referee after Mamadou Sakho was sent off in a league game at Montpellier Herault.
Stephane Lannoy, head of the referees association, said by telephone: “It is time that we calm things down so that referees can do their job serenely. I stand by Mr Castro’s decision to send off Thiago Silva. You don’t touch authority.”
PSG lead Ligue 1 on 74 points, with second-placed Olympique de Marseille seven points adrift with just three games remaining.
‘EVERYONE SAW’: The visitors were left fuming after Jules Kounde was fouled by Claudio Echeverri in the buildup to the winning goal and it went unpunished Spanish champions Barcelona on Monday fell to a damaging 2-1 defeat at Girona to leave them trailing Real Madrid by two points at the top of La Liga. Los Blancos beat Real Sociedad on Saturday to overtake the Catalans and Hansi Flick’s side could not defeat Girona in an gripping derby clash to reclaim the lead. Teenage star Lamine Yamal missed a penalty for Barcelona, who took the lead through defender Pau Cubarsi just before the hour mark. However, goals from Thomas Lemar and Fran Beltran helped Girona, 12th, mount an impressive comeback. “In the end Girona deserved it, they had a lot of
A dominant Cade Cunningham on Thursday scored 42 points as the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons swatted aside the New York Knicks 126-111 on the NBA’s return from its brief All-Star Game break. Billed as a must-watch clash between two Eastern Conference rivals each in red-hot form, the game at Madison Square Garden became an exhibition for Cunningham, who also provided 13 assists and eight rebounds. The 24-year-old burnished his credentials as a Most Valuable Player contender, helping a young, surprise-package Pistons side to improve the best record in the entire NBA this season so far, to 41-13. After the game, Cunningham said that he
Amanda Anisimova on Monday was handed a walkover into the last 16 of the Dubai Open after her opponent Barbora Krejcikova was forced to withdraw from the WTA 1000 event. The American second seed enters the round-of-16 against Janice Tjen without swinging a racket as two-time Grand Slam winner Krejcikova pulled out due to an issue with her left thigh. They became the seventh and eighth players to pull out, a list that includes the world top two Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. Tjen booked her meeting with Anisimova thanks to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win in her round-of-32 match against 2021 US
MEN’s FREESKI BIG AIR: Norway’s Tormod Frostad found an extra gear under the most intense pressure to post a winning total of 195.50 to top the podium Japanese teenager Ami Nakai on Tuesday set the pace in the Olympic women’s figure skating competition as freestyle skier Tormod Frostad soared to gold in an all-time classic big air final. Nikai, 17, upstaged teammate Kaori Sakamoto at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, while Alysa Liu of the US rounded out a powerful top three after the short program. Sakamoto is searching for an elusive gold at her final Winter Games, but faces a stiff challenge from a new generation of Japanese stars including Nakai and Mone Chiba. The 25-year-old Sakamoto, a relative veteran in the sport, won both of her segments in
RSS