Pizarro handed two-match suspension

Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro has been handed a two-match for violent conduct in his side's 3-0 win over Hannover last weekend.

The Peruvian raised his hand and appeared to slap opponent Emanuel Pogatetz in the face.

As referee Christian Dingert did not see the incident, television evidence was viewed by the German Football Association (DFB), who today handed out the suspension.

Bremen have 24 hours to lodge an appeal, otherwise Pizarro will miss their matches against Borussia Dortmund and Augsburg.

Pizarro said at the weekend that there was no intent and that he was just trying to free his hand.

However, the DFB viewed that there was some intent when deciding on the ban for a "mild case of violent conduct", while taking into consideration that Pizarro may also have been provoked.

Bremen later revealed they would not appeal, despite suggesting that the referee had in fact seen the incident at the time.

"There is no doubt that Claudio Pizarro's behaviour in this incident was not correct,'' Bremen's director of sport Klaus Allofs said.

"The TV pictures show clearly that the referee was close to the incident, had a clear view of it and even warned both players verbally, which would mean that an actual decision was taken, in which case it could no longer be altered.

"Nevertheless, the investigations have clearly led to a different result. We will accept it because the judge would not have come to a different conclusion if we had asked for a personal hearing anyway."