<p class="title">The referee who kicked a player during a French Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended "until further notice", the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday's game against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when the pair collided in a bizarre incident.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chapron then showed the player a second yellow card.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The FFF's technical committee of referees said Chapron had been "withdrawn... until further notice" and would be called to appear before the French league's disciplinary commission.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The sanction means he has been taken off refereeing duties for Wednesday's Ligue 1 game between Angers and Troyes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The FFF statement added that 45-year-old Chapron had reviewed video footage of the incident and "noted that his fall had been caused accidentally."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Footage of the incident quickly went viral across the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chapron and Diego Carlos were racing to catch up with a breakaway by PSG's Kylian Mbappe as the game, which the visitors won 1-0, moved into stoppage time at the Stade de la Beaujoire.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The referee appeared to cut across the Brazilian defender, sending both to the floor.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As he got up, Chapron kicked the player, catching him on his right foot. He then started to walk away before turning around and brandishing a second yellow card. He also awarded PSG a free-kick.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He told me that he had never wanted to kick the player and that he had felt a push in the back," said Nantes president Waldemar Kita after talking to Chapron.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's a joke. I got 20 text messages from across the world telling me this referee is a joke," Kita told French TV.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier had a good view of the incident and called for the referee to be given a lengthy ban.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He says he slipped, but I know he kicked him," Rongier told Canal+.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I know it's very difficult to referee but you have to question them from time to time... We do that, we get a 10-match ban."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was among those to express their bemusement on Twitter, joking that the referee should have got a red card himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Surely the good man will have apologised. It was spontaneous," wrote Casillas.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"That said, for me it's aggression and red! Three matches minimum!"</p>
<p class="title">The referee who kicked a player during a French Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended "until further notice", the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday's game against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when the pair collided in a bizarre incident.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chapron then showed the player a second yellow card.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The FFF's technical committee of referees said Chapron had been "withdrawn... until further notice" and would be called to appear before the French league's disciplinary commission.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The sanction means he has been taken off refereeing duties for Wednesday's Ligue 1 game between Angers and Troyes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The FFF statement added that 45-year-old Chapron had reviewed video footage of the incident and "noted that his fall had been caused accidentally."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Footage of the incident quickly went viral across the world.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chapron and Diego Carlos were racing to catch up with a breakaway by PSG's Kylian Mbappe as the game, which the visitors won 1-0, moved into stoppage time at the Stade de la Beaujoire.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The referee appeared to cut across the Brazilian defender, sending both to the floor.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As he got up, Chapron kicked the player, catching him on his right foot. He then started to walk away before turning around and brandishing a second yellow card. He also awarded PSG a free-kick.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He told me that he had never wanted to kick the player and that he had felt a push in the back," said Nantes president Waldemar Kita after talking to Chapron.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's a joke. I got 20 text messages from across the world telling me this referee is a joke," Kita told French TV.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier had a good view of the incident and called for the referee to be given a lengthy ban.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"He says he slipped, but I know he kicked him," Rongier told Canal+.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I know it's very difficult to referee but you have to question them from time to time... We do that, we get a 10-match ban."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was among those to express their bemusement on Twitter, joking that the referee should have got a red card himself.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Surely the good man will have apologised. It was spontaneous," wrote Casillas.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"That said, for me it's aggression and red! Three matches minimum!"</p>