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FIFA opens proceedings against hot-headed German team officials

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against two German team officials who allegedly stormed towards the Sweden bench gesturing and applauding.

FIFA opens proceedings against hot-headed German team officials

Moscow, June 26: FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against two German team officials who allegedly stormed towards the Sweden bench gesturing and applauding after the defending World Cup champions' last-gasp 2-1 victory last week.

FIFA World Cup Fixtures

Toni Kroos scored a match-winning goal in the stoppage-time and immediately after the goal, Germany'a media officer Ulrich Voigt and a German FA (DFB) employee in charge of the DFB office for the national team, Georg Behlau, rushed towards the Sweden bench to mock them by clapping.

The incident soon caught on camera and quickly went viral which also saw Swedish coaching staff and reserve players stood up and confronting them and shoving them back toward their technical area.

Later, several Swedish players and their coach Janne Andersson labelled the incident as disgusting and FIFA now confirming the action has declared that they will probe the full matter.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened disciplinary proceedings against the German officials Ulrich Voigt and Georg Behlau for incidents at the end of the match Germany vs. Sweden," FIFA said in a statement.

German manager Joachim Low however following the game said he was not aware of the incident but now the DFB has responded to the accusation and apologised for the behaviour.

"Both are members of the national team's technical staff. Both charged the Swedish bench. That was a mistake they both sincerely regret," national team spokesman Jens Grittner told.

"Within a few minutes, they apologised to the organisational leader of the Swedish team and also to Sweden's coach. Nobody was punched or kicked by them, no swear words or curses were exchanged, but still, the behaviour was wrong.

"The DFB as a whole regrets the incident and apologised to the Swedish team and delegation."

The German football federation, additionally, has declared that they have revoked the field access for the two officials after the unsportsmanlike behaviour and the pair won't be at the dug-out during Germany's next game against South Korea.

"Independent of the FIFA disciplinary commission's decision, the DFB and the two colleagues in question want to make a clear point of having realised the impact of their unsportsmanlike behaviour and already today announce that they will have no function in the pitchside area at the next game of the German team," the DFB said in a statement.

Germany lost their first game against Mexico, however, a win against Sweden has given them a ray of hope to advance into the next round.

They will next face South Korea where a win by two-goal margin could seal their progress into the round amidst all the qualifying calculation.

Story first published: Tuesday, June 26, 2018, 22:51 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 26, 2018