After his assault against Leroy Sané, Union coach Nenad Bjelica could be banned for a long time. The scene is reminiscent of a situation that happened 18 years ago.
It was the exciting scene in the Bundesliga catch-up game between FC Bayern and Union Berlin: visiting coach Nenad Bjelica and DFB star Leroy Sané clashed on the sidelines around 20 minutes before the end. The Croatian’s fuse burned out: he grabbed Sané in the face twice with his hand and was then shown a red card.
Bjelica, who only took over as coach of the “Iron” at the end of November 2023, is now facing a long ban. Because: For an assault, i.e. an offense such as kicking, hitting, pushing, biting or spitting, at least six weeks and up to six months are usually allowed. This emerges from the regulations of the German Football Association. The duration of the punishment depends on the severity of the offense. And then whether there are any previous convictions.
The seriousness of the offense is decisive
The DFB Control Committee ultimately decides how serious the offense is. Bjelica has no known criminal record in professional football. But the fact is: He grabbed Sané in the face not just once, but twice. So far he has made no move to apologize to the national player. Quite the opposite.
He had to apologize to his team, said the coach. But: “Not with Sané. He comes into the room to provoke me,” said Bjelica. These factors could also influence the duration of the ban.
What could play into Bjelica’s hands is the chance for mitigation. Since the Union coach was preceded by a provocation from Sané after the assault, the ban could be shorter. The DFB states: “If an anti-sporting act was committed against the player by the opponent immediately before his offence, the minimum penalty is usually reduced to three games.” This statement could also be applied to trainers who have been violent.
The Norbert Meier case
The fact that the DFB basically only speaks about assaults by players in its statutes regarding punishments is probably due to the fact that assaults by coaches are rather rare. If coaches were involved in arguments with players, they usually either became victims of violence themselves or portrayed themselves as such.
Former Frankfurt player David Abraham, for example, ran down Freiburg coach Christian Streich at full speed in November 2019. The body check had consequences. Abraham had to pay a fine of 25,000 euros and was banned for seven weeks. Ex-Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich again had to pay 12,000 euros in 2017 after he performed an act and theatrically sank to the ground after a slight push from Gladbach’s Denis Zakaria. He wasn’t blocked.
Norbert Meier experienced a different story a little over 18 years ago. The now 65-year-old set a precedent in December 2005, which in turn could also set the tone for the sentence in the Bjelica case. At the time, Meier was a coach at the then Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg. In the game against 1. FC Köln he indulged in a never-before-seen combination of unsportsmanlike behavior and acting.
Cologne professional Albert Streit clashed with Meier on the sidelines. The coach gave the player a headbutt and then dropped himself. Streit saw the red card. However, Meier was subsequently prosecuted for his crime. The TV images had convicted him. He therefore had to pay 12,500 euros and was banned for three months. Duisburg fired its trainer and was relegated at the end of the season. A fate that, in the worst case, could also threaten Bjelica and Union Berlin in May 2024.