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Leverkusen coach Schmidt handed a two-match ban

Chuck Penfold
October 24, 2016

The German FA has given Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt a two-match ban for insulting his Hoffenheim counterpart during a game. This means he will not be in the dugout for Leverkusen's Cup tie.

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Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen - FC Schalke 04
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/L. Baron

The DFB (German football association) announced the two-match ban in a statement posted on its website on Monday. It said that in addition Schmidt had been handed a 15,000-euro ($16,330) fine for unsportsmanlike behavior.

The statement said that Schmidt had been informed of and accepted the decision, meaning that he will miss Leverkusen's second-round German Cup match against third division side Sportfreunde Lotte on Tuesday evening as well as their Bundesliga encounter with Wolfsburg next Saturday.

The two-game suspension actually stems from an incident back in February, when Schmidt refused a referee's order to leave his technical area during a match against Dortmund. Schmidt was handed a three-match banand a 20,000-euro fine for that incident - and was also told that a further two-match ban would be imposed in the case of any further transgression.

In the latest incident, Schmidt became involved in a verbal altercationwith Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann during Leverkusen's 3-0 defeat at home on Saturday. Schmidt was heard calling Nagelsmann an "idiot" and telling him to shut up. Schmidt later apologized to Nagelsmann, who has played down the incident.