Mainz midfielder Jose Rodriguez has been banned for five games and fined €10,000 for the red card he picked up just five minutes into his debut at the weekend, the Bundesliga club has confirmed.
The Spaniard was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Augsburg's Dominik Kohr, who has been ruled out for many weeks as a result of the injury he picked up.
Rodriguez apologised for the foul, but the disciplinary committee of the German Football Association (DFB) has shown no leniency in banning him for five matches for dangerous play.
Kohr needed surgery after the foul, although fears his leg may have been broken were not ultimately confirmed.
Get well soon, Dominik! �� @FCA_World pic.twitter.com/ZEb0NNE6PV
- 1. FSV Mainz 05 (@Mainz05en) September 19, 2016
Rodriguez can also expect further punishment from his club, whose coach Martin Schmidt said the "stupid, ridiculous'' foul had taken all the joy out of his side's first win of the season.
In addition to Rodriguez's apology, which he delivered in person to Kohr after the game on Sunday and which was then published by the Bundesliga club on their website, Mainz's players posed for a picture published on their Twitter account holding up three sheets of paper saying "get well soon Dominik."
Rodriguez was part of the group which held up the message.
