A referee who kicked a player during a French Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended "until further notice" the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Monday, reports Channel NewsAsia.
Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday's match against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when the pair collided in a bizarre incident.
Chapron then showed the player a second yellow card, although that has now been rescinded, the French league told AFP, freeing him to play in their next game.
The referee apologised on Monday, saying Diego Carlos had bumped into him but that his own reaction had been "clumsy" and "inappropriate".
The FFF said its technical committee of referees had decided that Chapron be "withdrawn ... until further notice".
He will be called to appear before the French league's disciplinary commission to explain himself.
The sanction means he has been removed from refereeing duties for Wednesday's Ligue 1 game between Angers and Troyes.
The FFF statement added that 45-year-old Chapron - who recently took charge of a game in China - had reviewed video footage of the incident and "noted that his fall had been caused accidentally."
Chapron apologised, saying in a statement to AFP on Monday: "The Nantes player, Diego Carlos, crashed into me.
"At the time of the collision, I felt a sharp pain where I had recently suffered an injury. My unfortunate reaction was to stick my leg out towards the player."
Footage of the incident quickly went viral across the world.
Chapron and Diego Carlos were racing to catch up with a breakaway by PSG's Kylian Mbappé as the game, which the visitors won 1-0, moved into stoppage time at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
The referee appeared to cut across the Brazilian defender and contact was made, sending both to the floor.
As he got up, Chapron kicked the player, catching him on his right foot. He then started to walk away before turning around and brandishing a second yellow card. He also awarded PSG a free-kick.
Nantes said they had asked the disciplinary commission of the league (LFP) to meet as a matter of urgency on Monday to rescind the second yellow card and allow Diego Carlos to play in Wednesday's game against Toulouse.
"After reading Tony Chapron's report confirming [...] that Diego Carlos had not knocked him over deliberately, the commission has decided to withdraw the second yellow card," the LFP confirmed to AFP.
Nantes president Waldemar Kita, who was seen laughing incredulously after the red card was shown, said he spoke to Chapron at the end of the game.
"He told me that he had never wanted to kick the player and that he had felt himself pushed in the back," he told French television. "It's a joke. I got 20 text messages from across the world telling me this referee is a joke."
Read more of this report from Channel NewsAsia.
See also: Lionel Messi, his 100 million-euros-a-season deal and his 'tax saving' charity