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Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has been banned for five games after making remarks to referee Ruddy Buquet after the abandoned game between Lyon and Marseille. Aulas told Buquet: “The competition depends on the LFP [Ligue 1 governing body], you on the FFF, unfortunately [for you] I am part of the executive committee, this won’t be the end of it”. On top of the five-game ban, which keeps the OL president from all official functions, Aulas’ suspension includes another five-game suspended ban and stops him from sitting on the FFF executive committee and the FFF board of directors. Reacting to the news, Aulas told L’Équipe:
“I’m very disappointed. I think I provided explanations that show there could be no intimidation of the referee. Frankly, it’s a big misunderstanding. This decision is not fair. On the one hand, we have a referee who is not telling the truth and, for my part, I point out that the regulations will have to change between the League and the Federation as to who can, at one time or another, stop or not stop a match.”
“I was probably not convincing, and neither was my lawyer. This decision is not balanced when at the same time [Jorge] Sampaoli threatened the referee – that’s in the reports – and a number of Marseille players intervened violently in the corridors, which, between us, led to the referee’s change of mind… Not to mention the comments of [Marseille’s director of communications] who said incredible things.”
