Seven-game ban for player who pushed referee

PARIS: Ajaccio’s Mathieu Coutadeur was banned for seven matches by French football chiefs on Thursday for pushing the referee in his team’s stormy play-off win over Le Havre, a game overshadowed by four red cards and an attack on the visiting team’s bus.

Coutadeur’s sanction for man-handling referee Frank Schneider was the heaviest following the Ligue 2 promotion play-off in Corsica last Sunday which ended 2-2 at the end of extra time before Ajaccio claimed a dramatic 5-3 win on penalties.

His teammate Joris Sainati was handed a two-game ban with one suspended while Le Havre striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was also red-carded for a provocative goal celebration, was banned for one match.