The LFP have handed Dimitri Payet (36) a five-match suspension – three games of which are suspended – following his slap on RC Lens assistant coach Yannick Cahuzac, however, Olympique de Marseille are set to contest the charge.
Payet is free to play in this weekend’s match against Lille OSC. However, should the former West Ham midfielder’s ban not be overturned, there is a chance that the match against Les Dogues could be his last in professional football. As reported earlier this week by L’Équipe, there is a chance that, despite possessing a contract that runs until 2024, Payet may decide to call time on his playing career this summer, before integrating the coaching setup at Les Phocéens. After the match against Lille, there are only two games remaining this season, meaning that Payet would not return in time to feature again for the club.
However, in a press release, Marseille are contesting the LFP’s decision. The club states that as the slap on Cahuzac was seen by the referee, and since no sanction was applied on the pitch, the decision to not card Payet is “definitive,” and therefore cannot be changed in retrospect.
Marseille are therefore critical of the procedural process that they believe risks setting a precedent, and are therefore “preparing their next steps in a plea against the decision.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
