Létang faces a ban of up to 9 months for angry messages against refereeing

Lille president Olivier Létang has been referred to the disciplinary committee of the French Professional Football League following a file submitted by the ethics committee of the French Football Federation. This referral comes in the wake of a series of angry messages and emails he sent to officials in French refereeing.

The case dates back to after the Lille and Paris Saint-Germain match that ended in a 2-2 draw in late August, where Litang sent several messages described by the ethics committee as "often aggressive" in protest against the refereeing decisions.

According to the French Football Federation regulations, the disciplinary committee may consider the actions of Lille's president as "excessive conduct", a situation that could expose him to a suspension of three matches, especially since the messages were directed outside the context of the match.

However, the penalty could be much harsher if the committee considers Litang's actions to fall under the category of "intimidating or threatening behavior."

French Football Federation regulations define intimidating behavior as any statement, signal, or position that may provoke fear or dread. If messages from Létang are classified within this category, the penalty could reach a suspension of up to nine months.

Lille's president is set to appear before the disciplinary committee on September 16, and his history of repeated offenses may negatively impact his position before the committee.

The final penalty remains linked to the interpretation of the Disciplinary Committee regarding the nature of the messages sent by Litang to the French refereeing officials.