FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The disciplinary panel of Germany’s soccer federation has recommended Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones be suspended for eight weeks after charging the American with intentionally stepping on an opponent’s injured foot.
Schalke said Thursday it will appeal the proposed penalty.
The control committee of the federation found Jones intentionally stepped on the left foot of Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus during a Bundesliga match last month. Reus was nursing a broken left small toe and was playing with a specially designed shoe. He still scored two goals in a 3-1 win for his team.
The incident early in the game was not noticed by the referee, but was caught by television cameras. The disciplinary panel used video footage to file “grave misconduct” charges against Jones, who was ejected at the end of the match in an unrelated incident. It was the fourth red card of his career.
If the penalty is imposed, Jones would be banned from any competitive and exhibition matches until March 1. He would miss six Bundesliga games.
