Six years ago, chaos struck during a Ligue 1 match between Nantes and Paris Saint-Germain when referee Tony Chapron KICKED Diego Carlos and sent him off.
The incident occurred in the 90th minute after Carlos accidentally tripped Chapron as PSG tried to find a second goal. Instead of remaining composed under pressure, Chapron, who was still on the floor, decided to swing his leg in Carlos’ direction and caught the Brazilian on the shin.
It was a moment of madness from Chapron, but he made matters worse by choosing to show Carlos a red card. Carlos, who was 24 at the time, looked understandably confused by Chapron’s behaviour and decision to send him off, after what appeared to be an accidental collision between them.
Everyone associated with Nantes – including several players – decided to surround Chapron in disbelief. In the aftermath, it was reported that Carlos had been handed a second yellow card for dissent, but Carlos’ red card was soon overturned and he was available for their next match.
Less than 48 hours after the game, Chapron released a statement via the French media and apologised to Carlos for his actions. “This maladroit gesture was inappropriate. As a result, I would like to present my apologies to Diego Carlos,” the 51-year-old said.
“A complementary report has been sent to the disciplinary commission so that the booking received by the FC Nantes player be rescinded, as the images showed me his gesture did not seem voluntary. During the match, I collided with Diego Carlos. At the moment of impact, I had a very sharp pain on a recent injury. It was bad reflex action that meant I stuck my leg out at the player.”
Despite Chapron’s apology, he received a six-month ban from the French Football Federation and then decided to end his refereeing career. It was the worst possible ending for Chapron, who had took charge of over 400 Ligue 1 matches since 2004 and also refereed the 2014 Coupe de France final.
As for the game itself, Angel di Maria scored the only goal of the game to earn Unai Emery’s PSG the victory at Stade de la Beaujoire. It was a win that moved PSG 11 points clear of second-place Monaco at the time, but the result was completely overshadowed by Chapron’s moment of madness.
Speaking in November 2018, Chapron admitted that he felt he was treated more harshly than players for lashing out because he was a referee. “Just remember when Zinedine Zidane gave a headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final,” he told BBC’s World Football Podcast. He was a fantastic player, maybe one of the best in the world for many years. And the reaction in this situation with Zidane was not so big if you compare with my situation.”
This wasn’t the first time Chapron had created controversy during or at full-time of a game. In March 2015, Chapron refused to give Zlatan Ibrahimovic the match ball despite the fact he had scored a hat-trick for PSG against Lorient. Players usually take home the match ball if they score three or more goals, but the Swedish superstar saw his request turned down by the French referee.
Carlos, meanwhile, is now plying his trade at Aston Villa alongside Emery, who was in the dugout for PSG during that infamous incident. Carlos made 108 appearances for Nantes, before leaving to join Sevilla in 2019. He spent three successful years in Seville – winning one Europa League – before his move to Villa.
