Bayern Munich‘s 1-0 victory over Union Berlin wouldn’t have made much noise if it wasn’t for the incident between Leroy Sane and Nenad Bjelica, who was sent off for pushing the German star in the face twice.
The moment took place in the 74th minute of a pending match for Matchday 13 of the 2023-24 Bundesliga on Wednesday. Sane went to the touchline to get the ball, but Bjelica reacted in the worst possible way.
Apart from watching the remainder of the game from the stands, Bjelica was given a three-game suspension by the German FA on Thursday, with the governing body claimed the coach showed “unsporting” behavior.
Bjelica fined €25k as Union Berlin battles for survival in the Bundesliga
In addition to the three-match punishment, the Union Berlin manager will have to pay a €25,000 fine. Bjelica won’t be on the dugout for his team’s upcoming games against Darmstadt, RB Leipzig and Mainz at a difficult time for the club.
Nenad Bjelica, Head Coach of 1.FC Union Berlin, (not pictured) is shown a red card during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Union Berlin at Allianz Arena on January 24, 2024 in Munich, Germany.
Union Berlin had a fantastic campaign last season that saw them finish fourth in the German league, claiming a historic UEFA Champions League berth. But things are not going to plan this term, as they find themselves 15h in the Bundesliga standings, just three points above relegation spots.
Bjelica has been in charge of Union Berlin since November, with two wins, two draws, and three defeats in seven games across all competitions.
Bayern, on the other hand, bounced back following a 1-0 loss at the hands of Werder Bremen to stay within touching distance of leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who are four points clear of the Bavarians.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.
