The referee suspended after trying to trip a player during a Ligue 1 game has been named the French top flight's Referee of the Year.
Tony Chapron was given a three-month ban after being found guilty of attempting to kick Diego Carlos during a 1-0 league defeat to Paris St. Germain on 14 January 2018. After the match he explained: “During the match Nantes-PSG, I was knocked over by Diego Carlos, a player with Nantes. At the moment of the impact, I felt a sharp pain where I had recently suffered an injury. My unfortunate reaction was to stick my leg out towards the player. This clumsy gesture was inappropriate, so I want to apologise following this action”. The punishment was extended to six months by the French Football Federation's appeals commission, but Chapron's fellow referees still elected him as the top official in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Chapron, 46, is planning to retire at the end of the season and learned of the honour late last month. According to L'Equipe, the national directorate for refereeing (DTA) attempted to have the vote annulled. Chapron will receive the award at the UNFP Trophy ceremony, in which Ligue 1's Player of the Year will also be honoured, on 13 May 2018.
