The former Atletico Madrid man pushed an official at the beginning of February and will miss the remainder of the current season.
Portugal global Gelson Martins has been banned from football for six months after attacking a referee, Ligue 1 confirmed on Thursday.
Martins lined up for Monaco on February 1 against Nimes, but after 34 minutes became incensed when viewing team-mate Tiemoue Bakayoko sent off for a rash challenge.
Referee Mikael Lesage was the goal of Martins’ ire and has been pushed twice in an ugly fracas that resulted in the prior Atletico Madrid man linking Bakayoko in getting a red card.
Nine-man Monaco then went down 3-1, having been tied 1-1 at the time of this dual expulsion.
Following the episode, Martins was suspended indefinitely pending investigation and has received a stiff penalty which means his season is now over.
“In light of the nature of the events, the Disciplinary Committee, on February 6, 2020, suspended the participant as a preventative measure,” the Ligue de Football Professionnel clarified in a statement released on Thursday.
“After examining the evidence and hearing the participant’s arguments, the Committee has decided to sanction Gelson Martins using a suspension of six months.
“That decision takes effect from February 6, 2020.”
An announcement from Monaco after the decision was announced reiterated the club’s disappointment at the player, although they think the amount of the ban is excessive.
“AS Monaco takes note of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the LFP to sanction Gelson Martins using a suspension of six months relationship to February 6, a very heavy sanction,” the announcement read.
“The team once again condemns the unjustifiable behaviour of its attacker but also regrets the excessive length of the suspension, for a player who has never served a disciplinary ban in over 200 games at the maximum level.”
Martins apologised for his actions after the clash, admitting that the outburst was unacceptable and out of character.
“Anyone who knows me understands that during my career I have held admiration for everybody for a principle – my team-mates, opponents, officials and fans – off the area and onto it, where I’ve never been aggressive against anybody,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I feel I need to apologise for my mindset that was unwarranted and merchandise of a moment of anger.
“I apologise specifically to the referee Mikael Lesage, but in addition to my team-mates and our fans.”
The midfielder, 24, is in his first full year at Monaco after moving into the principality on a first loan transfer in January 2019 after only six months at Atletico Madrid.
He started his career at Sporting, where he starred for three seasons before that ill-fated Atletico change, and is also a regular for Portugal, playing after from the 2018 World Cup.k
