Referee who kicked and sent off a player 'to be given with top award'

Remember the French referee that kicked a player and then sent that player off? Well, he’s about to be awarded Referee Of The Season. No, seriously.

Tony Chapron was given a six-month ban from football for kicking out at Nantes’ Diego Carlos during their game at PSG – and then doubling the crazy by sending a confused Carlos off back in January.

But that hasn’t been enough to persuade his fellow officials to vote for Chapron as Referee of the Season in Ligue 1 for this season, reports Le Parisien. Are they actually serious or is this the biggest trolling of all time?

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The ban effectively ended his career as the 15-year veteran had already decided to retire in the summer and his departure sort of mirrors French legend Zinedine Zidane, going out in the most spectacularly ridiculous way.

Maybe that is what has prompted his fellow referees to vote for Chapron as ref of the season, especially considering he had never been suspended before in his career.

He is, however, almost certainly the French Mike Dean with previous of making the game about himself. He once refused to give Zlatan Ibrahimovic the match ball after the Swede had scored a hat-trick.

However, it looks like he may not get the award at all as the national directorate for refereeing is trying to have the vote annulled out of sheer embarrassment, according to L’Equipe.

If the vote does stand Chapron will receive the award at the UNFP Trophy ceremony, in which Ligue 1’s Player of the Year will also be honoured, on May 13.

And they say referees don’t have a sense of humour.