Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was suspended on Wednesday for the next three Bundesliga games by the German Football Association (DFB), ruling him out until the club’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
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‘The Hunter’ was shown a straight red for tackling Hanover’s Manuel Schmiedebach from behind last Saturday, earning him an automatic one-game ban.
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Having already sat out Schalke’s 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, the DFB decided his offence, a wild hack at the back of Schmiedebach’s legs, warranted a four-game ban in total.
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The Dutch striker will not now play again until Schalke host holders Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, first-leg clash, in a fortnight in Gelsenkirchen.
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The 31-year-old had been facing a potential six-match ban by the DFB’s disciplinary committee, but was instead given four with two matches suspended.
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The Netherlands forward must also pay a €15 000 fine.
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The two suspended matches of his ban will be enforced if Huntelaar receives another red card before January 31 2016.
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Huntelaar, who has scored seven goals in 17 games this season, misses Friday’s clash at third-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, and trips to mid-table Eintracht Frankfurt on February 14 and Werder Bremen a week later.
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