Dimitri Payet (36) is set to have his case heard after slapping Yannick Cahuzac, Franck Haise’s assistant, during the Ligue 1 match between Olympique de Marseille and RC Lens last Saturday.
The OM legend is set to appear before the disciplinary committee on May 17. The incident captured on video by Amazon Prime Video shows the former West Ham midfielder slapping Cahuzac after an altercation with the Lens bench. Following the incident, Lens coach Haise demanded punishment against Payet from referee Clément Turpin. “Mr. Turpin! Mr Payet, it’s a red card! Didn’t you see the slap?” complained Haise. A few seconds later, Loïs Openda also brought the incident to the attention of the refereeing body, exclaiming, “Hey! He slapped him.”
Cahuzac and Gilles Marambaud, the two assistants during the match, will also be heard during the committee meeting. During the match, Cahuzac was sent off during the altercation. Haise later questioned the possibility of a retrospective suspension for Payet, stating that he is “not a fan” of handing out a suspension based on media images.
Payet could receive heavy sanctions for his actions as the disciplinary committee reviews the incident with L’Équipe reporting that the former France international could receive a five-game ban.
GFFN | Tony DesRois