Olympique Marseille supremo Pablo Longoria will appear before a French football league disciplinary panel on Wednesday facing a possible 12-game ban for attacking the officiating during Marseille's 3-0 loss at Auxerre on Saturday.
Longoria railed at the performance of referee Jérémy Stinat who rejected Marseille appeals for a penalty and dismissed Marseille defender Derek Cornelius for two bookable offences.
"Let Pablo Longoria tell it like it is: this is real corruption!" said the 39-year-old Spaniard after the Ligue 1 clash.
Before Saturday's game at the Stade Abbé-Deschamps, Marseille officials had openly expressed their concern over Stinat's appointment as the main referee for the match.
The 46-year-old former footballer had been the fourth official in the Coupe de France tie against Lille where Marseille's director of football Medhi Benatia was suspended for three months for his behaviour towards Stinat.
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Longoria's sporting advisor, will also come under scrutiny for branding Stinat's performance at Auxerre as scandalous.
Former Cote d'Ivoire boss Gasset takes over at Marseille
Punishment
The 56-year-old Italian's sanction is likely to be lighter.
If the watchdogs decide "excessive or inappropriate behaviour", they can impose a three-match suspension. "Offensive behaviour" can lead to a four-match ban.
"Rude or insulting behaviour" could result in a suspension of up to 12 matches, and "intimidating or threatening behaviour" could be punished by a six-month ban.
(With newswires)
Read also:
Marseille host PSG amid battle against homophobic chanting on terraces
Prix Marc-Vivien Foé: Marseille's Aubameyang wins trophy for a second time
Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Lille discover their European fates
