Nantes: Referee Tony Chapron admits mistake after Diego Carlos kick

Referee Tony Chapron appeared to aim a kick at Nantes' Diego Carlos

The referee who aimed a kick at a Nantes player before sending him off has said he "reacted badly" and asked for the booking to be rescinded.

Tony Chapron admits he was accidentally knocked over by Diego Carlos - but he subsequently kicked out at the defender and booked him for a second time during Sunday's 1-0 loss to Paris-St-Germain.

The French football league (LFP) has now rescinded the second yellow card.

Chapron has been suspended by the French Football Association.

"During the Nantes-PSG match, I was barged by Nantes player Diego Carlos," the referee said in a statement to AFP. "As a result of the impact, I felt a sharp pain from a recent injury. I reacted badly by moving my leg towards the player.

"I have sent a report to the (LFP) disciplinary commission so that the [second] booking received by the player can be withdrawn, because having seen the images his action did not seem deliberate."

In its own statement, LFP said: "After reading the report, in which Tony Chapron confirmed having reviewed the incident that Diego Carlos did not intentionally make contact with him, the commission decided to overturn the second yellow card shown to the player."

Chapron's case will be studied in a meeting of the LFP's disciplinary committee on Thursday.

On Monday, Nantes posted this picture on Twitter of Carlos in front of some cocktails with the caption "When get your second yellow card cancelled"