The Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz has been sent a bill for €122.92 (£89.24) by the head of Cologne’s sporting venues (KSS) after he was caught sabotaging the penalty spot during a Bundesliga match at the weekend.
With the scores level at 0-0, Hitz deliberately dug his studs into the turf and swivelled a few times for maximum impact just before Anthony Modeste stepped up to take a penalty. The former Blackburn striker then slipped and Hitz made the save, with Augsburg going on to win 1-0.
.@FCAugsburg's keeper rakes his studs on the penalty spot, causing @AModeste15 to slip and miss his penalty! https://t.co/onZV5zN2m9
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) December 6, 2015
The Switzerland goalkeeper attempted to play down the incident before conceding that he had been in the wrong. But, despite escaping punishment from the Bundesliga, Hans Rütten sent Hitz a bill to cover the cost of repairing the pitch, which included buying a square metre of turf for €22.50, employing a member of groundstaff for two hours (€40.25) and tax.
“Strictly speaking, it was the wanton destruction of KSS property,” Rütten said. “What Marwin Hitz did had little to do with fair play. It’s not about the money. But a bit of punishment does no harm. If Marwin Hitz pays, then we will donate the amount to the children’s hospital in Cologne.”
To his credit, Hitz took the punishment with good grace. “With a wink, I like to pay my debts,” he wrote on Twitter. “In addition, I will make a donation to the children’s hospital.”
Mit einem Augenzwinkern 😉 begleiche ich die Rechnung nach Erhalt gerne! https://t.co/OembCA6Fqp @fckoeln #KOEFCA
— Marwin Hitz (@HitzMarwin) December 8, 2015
