Kobiashvili faces ban for hitting ref

By foxsports
Published

The German football federation on Wednesday demanded a one-year ban for Levan Kobiashvili of Hertha Berlin for hitting a referee after his club lost the Bundesliga playoff and was relegated.

Referee Wolfgang Stark told a hearing he was attacked by several Hertha players after the match earlier this month.

Stark stopped the May 15 match for 20 minutes when Dusseldorf fans invaded the pitch with two minutes to play. The match was resumed and ended in a 2-2 draw, giving Fortuna Dusseldorf a 4-3 win on aggregate and a place in the Bundesliga next season.

Hertha Berlin lost an appeal last week for a replay. During a hearing, Stark singled out Kobiashvili for hitting him with a fist in the back of the neck.

The federation's control panel also asked for bans of up to six matches for three other Hertha players and one Dusseldorf player.

The players and their clubs have a day to accept or appeal the penalties.