In terms of the craziest football stories of recent times, a shocking incident involving Ligue 1 referee Tony Chapron is right up there.Chapron was the match official for a French top-flight fixture between Nantes and Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018.All was relatively normal for the vast majority of the match. PSG took the lead at the Stade de la Beaujoire in the 12th minute through Angel Di Maria. The visitors were attempting to score a second goal on the counter-attack as the clock ticked down to full-time.Chapron sprinted back towards the Nantes goal as Kylian Mbappe burst away.However, the vastly-experienced French ref was inadvertently tripped by Nantes centre-back Diego Carlos.One of the first rules of refereeing is that you must stay calm and composed at all times. Losing your head on the pitch has the potential to cost you your entire career, as Chapron unfortunately knows all too well.The match official saw red on this occasion and reacted by kicking out at the Brazilian defender.Carlos understandably looked confused by the referee’s behaviour. To make matters worse, Chapron then showed Nantes’ No. 3 a second yellow card.Everybody associated with Nantes, including Carlos, were baffled and angry in equal measure with Chapron’s decision to brandish the red card.BT Sport commentator Jonathan Pearce was equally as shocked after seeing the replay.“I think Tony Chapron, the referee, will be in real trouble after this,” Pearce said. “That was an absolute accident. There was no intention from the player whatsoever.“The referee’s antics will get him in hot water, I am absolutely sure. I have never seen that from a referee.”

Video: Tony Chapron kicks Diego Carlos

Watch the incident here:

Pearce was spot on with his prediction. After the clip went viral on social media, Chapron received a six-month ban from the French Football Federation and then decided to end his refereeing career.

It was the worst possible end to a decent refereeing career that had spanned 20 years.

He'd been refereeing in France's top league since 2004 and had taken charge of over 400 matches during that time - including the 2014 Coupe de France (French Cup) final, which was contested between Rennes and Guingamp in front of an 80,000-strong crowd at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

His once proud refereeing career was irreversibly tarnished off the back of one moment of madness.

What did Tony Chapron say about the incident?

"I didn't want to kick him," Chapron told the BBC's World Football Podcast in November 2018.

"It's a pity because I finished my career on this game, on this situation. It's difficult to accept after being a referee for 1,500 matches because in the moment it was just reflex.

"I'm a human and I felt a pain and I was scared. I was tired. It was not aggressive.

"I just fell down, someone pushed me and as a reflex I put my foot out and said, 'Hey guy, take care!'

"In fact, the reaction of the players and the coaches was, 'OK, this guy made a mistake, so what?'

"But for the media and social media it was a big affair. Because the referee should not act like this and I agree and apologise for my reaction."

Chapron believes he was treated more harshly than players who instinctively lashed out because he was a referee.

"Just remember when Zinedine Zidane gave a headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final,” he added.

"He was a fantastic player, maybe one of the best in the world for many years. And the reaction in this situation with Zidane was not so big if you compare with my situation."

Was Tony Chapron involved in any other controversial incidents?

While Chapron wasn't involved in anything quite as extraordinary as kicking Carlos, he did make headlines on another occasion in March 2015 after refusing to hand Zlatan Ibrahimovic the match ball - despite the fact the Swedish superstar had scored a hat-trick for PSG against Lorient.

Players will usually take the ball home if the net three goals or more in a game, but Zlatan saw his request - or rather, demand - turned down.

Speaking to BBC Sport a few years later, Chapron explained: "He arrived close to me he just clicked his fingers and said; 'The ball!'"

"I have four daughters and when we're together and they ask something, if we don't have the word 'please' at the end of the sentence, there is no reaction.

"So, it's the same, it's a kind of education. I think it was a kind of disrespect. There is something wrong with society if we forget the simple things such as 'please' and 'thank you'.

"It was the beginning of the Ibrahimovic show, because nobody says no to Zlatan. I was probably the only one."

The Frenchman added: "He is a very annoying guy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"Not only with referees, he was always blaming his team-mates, always trying to cause some trouble with the opponents.

"He was a crazy guy. I think he's a fantastic player, but on the pitch he's someone else. And it was very difficult as a referee.

"I hope for him that he's a kind of actor, because he says so many things, crazy things, I hope he doesn't think what he says."

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic was once refused hat-trick match ball by referee Tony Chapron

What happened to Tony Chapron?

Chapron went on to work in the French media after hanging up his whistle but remained philosophical when looking back at his refereeing career.

"Winston Churchill once said, 'Success is to go from failure to failure and to keep smiling'," he said.

"I think this is the way we must think as referees!"