Borussia Monchengladbach and France forward Marcus Thuram has been given a six-game ban and fined 40,000 euros by Germany’s football association for spitting at an opponent.
Thuram, 23, was sent off in his side’s 2-1 Bundesliga loss to Hoffenheim.
A video review showed that the France international – the son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram – spat in the face of defender Stefan Posch.
Thuram has also been fined a month’s wages by his club.
German newspaper Bild has reported that the fine could be in the region of 150,000 euros (£136,200) – a club record sanction. The money will go to charity.
“Marcus has accepted this and has also offered to engage with this social cause on his own behalf,” said Monchengladbach’s sporting director Max Eberl.
“I have come to know him as a reflective person with a great demeanour.”
The score was 1-1 when Thuram was sent off in the 78th minute, with Hoffenheim scoring a late winner to leave Monchengladbach eighth in the German top flight.
Thuram, who has played three times for France, posted an apology on Instagram after the match.
“That is not in my character and must never happen,” he said. “I reacted to an opponent in a wrong way and something occurred accidentally and not intentionally.
“I apologise to everyone. Of course, I accept all of the consequences of my gesture.”
