Victor Boniface, the Nigeria international and striker for Bayer Leverkusen, has been sanctioned with a fine of 25,000 euros and a match ban for an offensive gesture that occurred during the German Super Cup match against Stuttgart at BayArena over the weekend.
Following his goal in the team’s victory, Boniface reportedly made an obscene gesture to the opposing players by showing his left middle finger as he sprinted past them after the final whistle.
As a result of the disciplinary action, the 23-year-old will be sidelined for the upcoming German Cup game against Carl Zeiss Jena this Saturday but will be eligible to play in Bayer Leverkusen’s opening Bundesliga match against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday.
The incident, unnoticed by referee Tobias Stieler during the match, was reviewed by the disciplinary committee leading to the retrospective charges.
Both the player and his club have accepted the ruling, making it legally enforceable.