Gelson Martins faces eight-month Ligue 1 ban for shoving referee
The Portugal international is set to learn his fate on Thursday after pushing the match official twice during Monaco's defeat away at Nîmes.
Gelson Martins faces a ban of up to eight months after shoving match referee Mikael Lesage twice during Monaco’s 3-1 defeat away at Nîmes last Saturday.
Martins, who joined Monaco on loan from Atlético Madrid last summer before the Ligue 1 side made the move permanent for €22.5m, was sent off for a physical altercation with Lesage that saw the Portugal international push the referee twice. Martins initially reacted furiously to a red card awarded to his teammate Tiémoué Bakayoko, who was adjudged to have stamped on Nîmes player Romain Philippoteaux. That resulted in a red for Martins, who responded by pushing Lesage again, leaving the referee with no option but to send him off as well.
Martins faces exemplary ban
According to RMC Sport, Martins can expect to be banned for the rest of the season and could be suspended for up to eight months. Ligue 1 rules stipulate a ban of between eight games and six months for aggression towards a match official, but the fact that Martins committed the offence twice could lead to an exemplary punishment. The LFP disciplinary committee is due to decide Martins' fate on Thursday.
Martins, 24, had played 21 times for Roberto Moreno’s side this season, scoring four times and laying on one assist.