Soccer News

Mönchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram handed a six-match ban for spitting at an opponent

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram handed a six-match ban for spitting at an opponent. German football’s governing body, the DFB, announced the sanctions against Thuram on Monday. “Five of the six matches are to be served directly in Bundesliga and cup games, with the sixth suspended until 21 Dec 2021,” an official statement said. Gladbach have already announced they will fine the player separately over the incident.

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s forward Marcus Thuram has been banned for six games and fined €40,000 (£36,370) for spitting in the face of the Hoffenheim defender Stefan Posch during Saturday’s Bundesliga game.

The 23-year-old was sent off after the incident in Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat, with a VAR review upgrading his initial yellow card to a red. The France forward confronted Posch off the ball with 10 minutes left to play. Ryan Sessegnon, on loan from Tottenham, scored a late winner for Hoffenheim.

Thuram apologised on social media afterwards, saying: “Today something took place that is not in my character and must never happen. I reacted to an opponent in a wrong way and something occurred accidentally and not intentionally.”

“I apologise to everyone, to Stefan Posch, to my opponents, to my teammates, to my family and to all those who saw my reaction,” Thuram continued. “Of course, I accept all of the consequences of my gesture.”

Thuram will miss Tuesday’s German Cup game against Elversberg, and January league fixtures against Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen. Marco Rose’s side face Manchester City in the Champions League last 16, with Thuram set to be available for the two-leg tie.

Another Gladbach player, the midfielder Christoph Kramer, was cleared of a spitting charge after an incident involving Frankfurt’s Sebastian Rode last week. In September, the Schalke defender Ozan Kabak was banned for four matches after being found guilty of spitting at Werder’s Ludwig Augustinsson.

Source – The Guardian