By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The center of Partizan Mozzart Bet, Mathias Lessort, was punished with a three-game suspension and a 10.000 euro fine for the infamous altercation with Crvena Zvezda player Filip Petrusev after the derby on Monday in the ABA league.
The Frenchman will miss the games with Cedevita Olimpija in Belgrade, FMP, and Igokea at home.
Lessort was sanctioned for the physical attack on Petrusev, which was followed by stormy reactions from Zvezda which resulted in the filing of a criminal complaint against the center. The “Red and Whites” asked the ABA league management to suspend the Frenchman until the end of the season.
ABA League decided that a three-game suspension and a financial fine were enough.
Mathias Lessort apologized after his post-game action against Filip Petrusev and Crvena Zvezda in an interview with Mozzart Sport.
“First I want to apologize to the fans and people who support us and those who love this sport and showed me incredible love and respect also to my teammates, my coaching staff, and the organization for reacting like this and showing a bad image of myself and our club. As athletes, we are held to higher standards and should always lead by example and show composure in any situation”, he first said.
Then, he went on to explain his actions, pointing his finger at Petrusev. “However it’s the first time in 9 years of professional basketball that I’m involved in such an incident, unlike the other protagonists who have a rich history of being involved in this type of mess. I only felt the need of protecting myself and my dignity after multiple provocations as the one in the fourth quarter when he hit me not as hard but to a stop where it cuts my breathing”, Lessort said.
“If it was only words I wouldn’t react at all and would leave it on the and as pure basketball and would never lose my cool as I did. I don’t use this as an excuse, but I just think that our fans and basketball fans who watched us yesterday should know what happened and know the truth. I didn’t attack but I reacted unfortunately in a way that was wrong and that should not happen on a basketball court and should just enjoy this great victory with my teammates and fans”, the French center finally added.
Crvena Zvezda responded quickly with another official announcement, accusing their former player of lying.
“Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet is shocked by the lies stated by Partizan’s first team player and sort of a new leader of the southern stand fans, Mathias Lessort.
We thought after this statement in which gross falsehoods were stated according to which the Serbian national team player and Crvena Zvezda first team member Filip Petrusev ‘hit and cut breathing’ to the victim Mathias Lessort, that perhaps we should apologize to the man who is in the middle of Belgrade as a guest on temporary work in Serbia, and like on the street attacked a Serbian national team player with his fists.
“Heartbreaking” (and untrue) confession by Mathias Lessort, whom this is not the first time causing incidents (we will remind you of the game in the final series of the ABA League last season when he started a confrontation with the fans in Pionir, embarrassing pictures with the Serbian national team members Kalinić and Petrusev, hitting Campazzo in Nis), he will have the opportunity to repeat it before the competent authorities, because according to the laws of the Republic of Serbia, where he earns (big) money, he will be obliged to give a statement about the physical attack on the player Filip Petrusev, after which the Prosecutor’s Office will decide to initiate criminal charges.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet reminds us that it demanded from the leaders of the ABA league a suspension until the end of the season for Mathias Lessort. Unfortunately, there are videos of alleged “defense” with punches!”