French referee handed ban for kicking out at player

PARIS (Reuters) - Referee Tony Chapron was handed a six-month ban, three of them suspended, for kicking out at Nantes player Diego Carlos in a Ligue 1 game against Paris St Germain last month, the French League said on Thursday.

During stoppage-time, Chapron bumped into Carlos and fell over with TV footage showing him swinging his leg towards the running defender's shins.

The League’s disciplinary commission handed down the sanction after hearing Chapron's evidence on Thursday.

A few seconds after the incident, Chapron showed Carlos a yellow card, which resulted in the player being sent off as he had also been booked in the first half. Chapron apologised to Carlos.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond)