Football
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Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes hit with one-game ban in dispute over shirt

Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes has been suspended for one game for sparking a bizarre dispute with rivals St Etienne.

Lopes blocked out St Etienne's name on his shirt during a Coupe de France game last month.

The numbers on Coupe de France shirts carry the names of all the past winners of the competition but Portugal international Lopes modified the list with a marker pen before taking on Marseille.

He was sanctioned on Monday, and a statement on OL's website read: "Olympique Lyonnais' goalkeeper will miss the game against Dijon on Sunday at Parc OL.

"Anthony Lopes has been suspended for one match by the French Football Federation for having blocked out AS Saint-Etienne's name on his shirt in the 2-1 Coupe de France defeat at Marseille."

The club responded very differently on social media, though, shifting the focus to ASSE official Bernard Caiazzo over comments he made after Feb. 5's derby win over Lyon.

A post on Lyon's official Twitter feed, following Lopes' ban on Monday, read: "A. Lopes suspended for one match for having blocked out ASSE on his jersey. What sanctions for president Caiazzo for his insults towards OL?"

The bad-tempered match saw Lyon pair Rachid Ghezzal and Corentin Tolisso sent off in stoppage time, the latter for a two-footed tackle on Fabien Lemoine.

Canal Plus television cameras captured a conversation between Lemoine and Caiazzo on the way back to the dressing room, with Lemoine saying: "I don't play to have my leg broken."

Caiazzo responded: "No, you are right, but they are f------. They are mental.''

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