A belligerent goal celebration by Monaco player Paris Brunner has caused a stir in France, and the league’s disciplinary committee is now looking into the incident. A ban is on the cards.
Paris Brunner’s Monaco side were trailing 0–1 away at Racing Strasbourg following an own goal in the 52nd minute, before the 20-year-old levelled the score 1–1 with a superb strike into the top corner from 20 metres out 19 minutes later.
However, Brunner subsequently allowed himself to be carried away by an unsavoury gesture. The former Dortmund professional mimicked slitting his throat, thereby infuriating the home fans. According to Brunner, some spectators had insulted his family, as he explained to L’Equipe. “There were a lot of emotions in play after the goal, especially after a goal like that. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”
Nevertheless, the gesture has now led to him being summoned before the league’s disciplinary committee. The ball was set rolling by the National Ethics Committee (CNE), which launched an investigation on its own initiative. “It requires neither a complaint nor a referee’s report nor a delegate’s report. It can act on its own initiative,” said its chairman, Frédéric Thiriez. “That is precisely what we have done today. In our view, the player’s behaviour could constitute a breach of the principle of exemplary conduct enshrined in the Code of Ethics.”
However, the decision must now be made by the disciplinary committee. A one-match ban for “excessive/inappropriate behaviour” is possible, as is a penalty for “intimidating/threatening behaviour” – in which case the ban would be four matches.
Brunner is in top form
Brunner left his youth club Dortmund for Monaco in the summer of 2024 and was initially loaned to Cercle Brugge in Belgium for a year. Last season he played for Monaco, but made only seven league appearances. This season, the World and European champion with the German U17s has already scored five goals in six competitive matches for the Monegasques.
