St Etienne coach describes Brandao prison sentence an 'aberration'
St Etienne coach Christophe Galtier has described the prison sentence imposed on his former player Brandao as "an aberration".
The Brazilian striker, who left Les Verts this summer for Bastia, was on Thursday sentenced to one month in jail for headbutting Paris St Germain's Thiago Motta in the tunnel following PSG's 2-0 win at the Parc des Princes in August.
Brandao had already been banned from football for six months, while the court also imposed a fine of 20,000 euros (£16,000).
Galtier, who worked with Brandao for two seasons at St Etienne where they won the 2013 Coupe de la Ligue together, believes the suspension from playing was sufficient.
He told L'Equipe: "When I see the number of delinquents in our country who have criminal records running to two or three pages but have never set foot in a prison, I have the feeling that a tribunal president wanted to make a player pay, that he took pleasure from people talking about him.
"It's an aberration. I have already given my point of view on Brandao's actions. When there is a financial and sporting sanction, it should stop there. That's fine.
"This is pitiful and is not good for our country."
PSG coach Laurent Blanc was shocked by the announcement of the sentence, but does not believe Brandao will actually serve time in jail.
Reports in France on Thursday suggested the sentence would take the form of community service.
And Blanc said: "I don't think he will actually go to prison, the effect of the announcement was important. But it's enormous."
