In the fight against the threat of relegation from the Bundesliga, 1. FC Union Berlin will have to do without head coach Nenad Bjelica in the next three championship games. The 52-year-old was suspended for three games by the German Football Association’s sports court the next day and also fined 25,000 euros for unsportsmanlike behavior in the Iron Men’s catch-up game at FC Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening. The Unioners agreed to the verdict, making it legally binding.
A good quarter of an hour before the end, Bjelica caught German international Leroy Sané twice with his hand in the face. He was punished with a red card for this. The Croatian then described his reaction as wrong, but also felt provoked by Sané.
The Bayern professional received a yellow card. Bjelica had to watch the final phase of the 0-1 loss in Munich from the stands. During his suspension, Bjelica will not be allowed to be inside the stadium for three games. His assistant team will take care of the team.
The ban means another setback for the Unioners. Next Sunday, the Köpenick team will host SV Darmstadt 98, bottom of the table, in the An der Alten Försterei stadium. In 15th place, the Union team has so far only collected three points more than the Hessian newcomer. However, they also played one less game. The canceled game against the current table 16th. FSV Mainz 05 will be rescheduled for February 7th – Bjelica will be missing there too.
The Croatian himself may have weakened his position within the club with his misconduct. There was also criticism from Union professionals, with reference to the role model function that both players and coaches had. Before the verdict was announced, the former top referee Manuel Gräfe had even expected a higher penalty of four to six games.
Bjelica has only held the position at Union since November 27th. The Berliners had previously parted ways with long-time successful coach Urs Fischer after a series of serious defeats and slipping to last place in the table.
