French soccer referee gets 4-month suspension

Published Jul. 30, 2015 12:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

PARIS (AP) Referee Said Ennjimi has been handed a four-month suspension by the French football federation after criticizing his superiors following an incident in which he asked players for autographed jerseys.

The French federation said Ennjimi was also given an eighth-month suspended sentence after he complained of being the victim of a ''man hunt.''

Ennjimi accused referees' technical director Pascal Garibian of ''carrying a reign of terror'' after he was provisionally suspended in the wake of the incident last season.

Ahead of Marseille's home match against Lorient, Ennjimi, one of the league's most experienced referees, had asked Marseille officials for six autographed jerseys for charity organizations. But Marseille lost the game 5-3 and the players refused to sign.

Ennjimi, who was infuriated by the players' decision, said he had offered to buy the jerseys.