Bastia striker Brandao has been sentenced to one month in prison and fined 20,000 euros following his heatbutt on Paris St-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta.
However, it is reported by Le Parisien that the jail term will be converted into a period of community service, and as such the striker will not spend any time behind bars. The paper also states that the player will not appeal.
Olivier Martin, the player's barrister, told media he was "a little stunned", adding: "This decision is in keeping with what has happened from the start of the case: it is over-the-top."
Brandao, 34, attacked Motta in the tunnel after the teams met on Aug. 16, and in September had already been given a six-month playing ban by the French FA -- which was upheld by the French Football Federation's Appeals Commission last week.
After Bastia's 2-0 loss, Brandao waited in the dressing room corridor for 20 minutes after being substituted, and as the players came off he walked over to Motta and butted him in the face before running away. Motta's nose was broken in the incident.
Last Sunday, Brandao had apologised and expressed regret for his actions in an interview with Canal+, but denied he had premeditated his assault on Motta. Neither the Italy international, 32, nor PSG pressed charges, but police still opened an investigation into the matter.
To explain the apparent severity of the sentence, the president of the court was cited by lequipe.fr as explaining that the judges had "taken into account the context and notably the problems of violence within stadia." He added he was irritated by the fact the player, who is sidelined for three months with a thigh injury he sustained in training recently, had chosen to undergo an operation rather than face the court in person.
A French prosecutor had asked the court for an eight-month suspended sentence along with a 15,000-euro fine.
Brandao, who had spells with Saint-Etienne and Marseille before joining the Corsican club, won the French league and two League Cups with Marseille from 2009-12.