Brazilian-born soccer player Brandao of Bastia of the French Ligue 1 has been handed a month in jail for head butting an opponent. Brandao head butted Italian midfielder Thiago Motta of Paris Saint Germain in a league game back on August 16 and was handed the jail sentence on November 28. PSG won the match 2-0 and Brandao told Motta he would be waiting for him in the tunnel after the match.

Video cameras captured the attack following the match and the head butt broke Motta’s nose. After head butting Motta in the face the tough-guy striker Brandao can be seen running away like a scared animal to the safety of his team’s dressing room. The 34-year-old Brandao was apparently upset with the 32-year-old Motta for insulting him during the game.

Brandao was handed a six-month suspension from the French Ligue for the assault and was also fined a total of 20,000 euros. In addition, his lawyer is expecting the player to be able to serve his sentence by performing community service rather than spending a month in jail. Let’s hope he’s wrong on that count. Incredibly, Brandao is being supported by Motta’s own manager Laurent Blanc of PSG. According to Blanc, the jail term is disproportionate and excessive.

As well as sticking up for his player’s assailant, Blanc said Brandao won’t serve any jail time anyway as he’ll be given community service. When describing the attack, Motta told the French police that Brandao was substituted during the game and he told Motta that he’d wait for him in the player’s tunnel by the dressing rooms after the final whistle. Motta admitted to the authorities that he didn’t actually think Brandao was going to be there.

Prosecutors asked for an eight-month suspended sentence along with a fine of 15,000 euros. However, the judge handed Brandao a stiffer penalty, but it appears he was also too lenient since he’s allowing the player to walk away scot-free with community service being his only punishment. Ironically, while Motta’s manager Blanc felt the penalty was too harsh, PSG club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated that Brandao should have received a lifetime ban from football for the cowardly attack.