Referee Tony Chapron has apologised for kicking out at Nantes defender Diego Carlos and has advised that the player’s sending-off should be overturned.

Chapron caused controversy late in Nantes’ 1-0 loss to Paris St Germain on Sunday when, having been knocked to the ground in an accidental collision with the Nantes defender, he kicked out at Carlos before showing him a second yellow card.

He has been stood down from duty “until further notice”, starting from his scheduled assignment for Wednesday’s Ligue 1 match between Angers and Troyes, and will face a disciplinary hearing with the French football league (LFP).

In a statement released to French news agency AFP on Monday, Chapron wrote: “During the Nantes-PSG match I was barged by Nantes player Diego Carlos.

“As a result of the impact I felt a sharp pain from a recent injury. I reacted badly by moving my leg towards the player.

“I have sent a report to the (LFP) disciplinary commission so that the (second) booking received by the player can be withdrawn, because having seen the images his action did not seem deliberate.”

That at least will please Nantes, who said in a statement shortly beforehand on their website: “FC Nantes has asked the LFP disciplinary commission to immediately annul the second booking for Diego Carlos so that he can play in the next league game this Wednesday, January 17.”

Pascal Garibian, the French football Federation’s technical director for referees, criticised Chapron’s “loss of control” in the incident.

“His action was unacceptable,” Garibian told L’Equipe. “I will not say more than that, it is for the LFP disciplinary commission to decide on.

“It was a bad reaction. He lost control of his emotions in the context of the fall.

“As a provisional measure, he will not be available to take charge of matches until the end of the (disciplinary) process.”

The incident overshadowed a match which was settled in PSG’s favour by Angel Di Maria’s 12th-minute goal.
Nantes manager Claudio Ranieri avoided addressing the issue in his post-match press conference but club president Waldemar Kita was not so reticent.

He told L’Equipe: “It’s a gag. I got 20 text messages from all over the world telling me the referee was a joke.
“What do you want me to say? If I talk too much I will be called before the disciplinary commission. We don’t have the right to say anything.

“It’s scandalous to see that. He gives a red card to a player who did nothing. He needs to go back to school. It’s amateurish.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. He needs to be suspended for six months. If we did it, we would be banned for six months.”