The trainer reportedly left the team’s hotel in order to buy toothpaste and skin cream, an infraction which precludes him from sitting on the bench
Augsburg have announced coach Heiko Herrlich will not be present when they face Wolfsburg on Saturday after he breached coronavirus restrictions.
Herrlich admitted to leaving the team hotel on Thursday, which is not allowed due to the rules in place ahead of the Bundesliga’s resumption behind closed doors.
It was reported that Herrlich left the hotel to purchase items such as toothpaste and skin cream.
This weekend’s game was due to be the former Borussia Dortmund star and Germany international’s first in charge of Augsburg, having been appointed by the club on March 10 to mark his coaching comeback almost 18 months after parting ways with his last employers, Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga came to a halt shortly after his arrival, meaning that he is yet to test himself at the club’s helm.
However, he will now have to stay away from his squad and coaching staff until recording two negative Covid-19 test results, as per instructions for all teams in Germany’s top flight.
“At today’s FC Augsburg press conference before the game against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (3:30 p.m.), coach Heiko Herrlich reported that he had briefly left the team hotel,” the club signalled in a statement released on Thursday.
“In doing so, he violated the quarantine rules of the hygiene concept that the German Football League had developed through the task force in order to be able to resume play.”
“I made a mistake by leaving the hotel. Even if I have followed all hygiene measures both when leaving the hotel and otherwise, I cannot undo this,” Herrlich admitted.
“In this situation, I was not able to act as a role model for my team and the public. I will therefore be consistent and stand by my mistake.
“Because of this misconduct, I will not be leading training tomorrow and will not be in charge of the team against Wolfsburg on Saturday.”
Augsburg sit 14th in the table ahead of the return to action but have not won in the league since February 1, a poor run of form that led to the departure of Martin Schmidt.
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