Former sports director of Paris Saint-Germain Brazilian Leonardo Araujo is demanding 8.5 million euros ($9.1 million) from the French Football Federation (FFF) for "professional" and "moral" damages.
The Federation ordered Leonardo's suspension for 13 months in July 2013 for assaulting the referee of the Ligue 1 match between PSG and Valenciennes on May 5, in protest at the sending off of Paris defender Thiago Silva, reports Efe.
Upon cancellation of the penalty by the Paris Administrative Tribunal in June 2014, Leonardo sued FFF before the same court in March, a media report said on Thursday.
Leonardo has always denied the assault, while his lawyers have put the demand of 8.5 million euros as "compensation for material damages, financial and professional" and an additional million for "moral damages against image and honour."
According to a note presented by the lawyers, FFF's decision prevented Leonardo from succeeding Carlo Ancelotti as coach of PSG.
