PSG Director Leonardo Receives 9-Month Ban for Pushing Referee (Video)

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has received a nine-month suspension for pushing a referee. The club, meanwhile, has received a suspended three-point deduction in Ligue 1 next season as BBC Sport reported.

If you think that sounds harsh, you're not alone. The punishment, which amounts to the majority of a season, far exceeds the crime, which was at worst a misdemeanor.

It all stems from an incident from PSG's home match against Valenciennes in the French league on May 5. PSG defender Thiago Silva was sent off controversially late in the first half after pulling the referee's elbow in an attempt to get his attention.

Trailing late in the second half, PSG equalized through Alex's header. The 1-1 draw meant PSG had to wait a bit longer to clinch the league title, and the red card angered Leonardo, who used his shoulder to run into referee Alexandre Castro in the tunnel afterwards.

Video of the tunnel incident appears above. See for yourself. Is that worth nine months and a suspended points deduction? We don't think so.

As the BBC report notes, Leonardo claimed another referee had accidentally pushed him into Castro. Whether or not that's true, the suspension is too heavy. If he did intentionally push the referee, Leonardo deserves some punishment, just not nine months of it.

As a comparison, Manchester United's Eric Cantona in 1995 received a nine-month ban for a kung fu-style kick on a fan. More recently, Liverpool's Luis Suarez was suspended 10 matches for biting an opponent.

In a statement, PSG responded to the ban thus: "Paris Saint-Germain considers this decision to be unjustified and extremely harsh. As a result, and in solidarity with its Sports Director, the Paris Saint-Germain will appeal this decision."

What do you think, readers? Is the ban too harsh? Will PSG's appeal succeed? Let us know in the comments below.

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