Union Berlin head coach Nenad Bjelica has been suspended for three matches and fined following an altercation with Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.
Bjelica was sent off in the 74th minute of Bayern’s 1-0 win over Union on Wednesday night after he shoved Sane twice in the face as the forward went to get the ball.
Bjelica has now received a ban for three Bundesliga matches, meaning he will miss fixtures against Darmstadt, RB Leipzig and Mainz. He has also been fined €25,000 ($27,000) by the German football federation (DFB).
Union confirmed the 52-year-old had been punished for “unsportsmanlike behaviour” in a statement on Thursday.
“The 1. FC Union Berlin team will have to do without head coach Nenad Bjelica for the next three Bundesliga matches,” the statement read.
“The sports court of the DFB has banned Bjelica from the next three Bundesliga matches of his club and fined him €25,000 for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
“He behaved unsportingly towards Leroy Sané in the 74th minute of the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munchen on 24 January 2024 and, among other things, grabbed Sané’s face, whereupon referee Frank Willenborg showed him the red card.
“Bjelica and 1. FC Union Berlin have agreed to the judgement, which is therefore legally binding.”
Bjelica commented on the incident immediately after the match, saying, “I reacted and I should not have done. The red card was absolutely deserved.”
A former Croatia international as a player, Bjelica has been in charge of the Bundesliga club for seven matches since he was appointed in November.
Following the loss to Bayern — which was settled by a Raphael Guerreiro strike — Union are 15th in the Bundesliga, one position above the relegation play-off place.
(Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Read the full article here
