PARIS: French referee Tony Chapron's ban for tackling a player in a Ligue 1 game was doubled on Friday as he lost his appeal, according to sources close to the disciplinary process.
Chapron was banned for three months for kicking Diego Carlos, a Nantes player, during a game against Paris Saint-Germain in mid-January.
The referee, who had already announced plans to retire this summer, appealed in an attempt to return before the end of the season.
The move backfired on Friday however as the French Football Federation appeals commission doubled the punishment to six months.
The verdict means that Chapron, who is 45, may never again officiate a French league match.