Borussia Munchengladbach's Marcus Thuram walks off the pitch after he is shown a red card by the referee for spitting at an opponent. Picture: Marius Becker, Reuters
BERLIN – French international Marcus Thuram was hit with a six-match suspension and a €40,000 fine ($49,000) by the German Football Association on Monday for spitting at an opponent during his club Borussia Munchengladbach's defeat to Hoffenheim at the weekend.
The 23-year-old striker – son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram – was sent off after a video review showed him spitting in the face of Stefan Posch of Hoffenheim as the two argued during a Bundesliga match.
With Gladbach down to 10 men, Hoffenheim scored a late goal and won 2-1.
Thuram was also fined a month's salary, to be paid to a charity, by his club. According to Bild daily, the fine could be in the region of 150,000 euros and constitute a club record sanction.
"Marcus has accepted this and has also offered to engage with this social cause on his own behalf," the club's sporting director Max Eberl said in a statement on Sunday.
"I have come to know him as a reflective person with a great demeanour," said Eberl. "He remains the same person we know, and we will stand
AFP