Schalke midfielder Johannes Geis has apologised following a shocking challenge on Borussia Monchengladbach's Andre Hahn on Sunday.
The 22-year-old was shown a straight red card in Schalke's 3-1 loss to Gladbach at Borussia-Park.
Geis raised his studs in a challenge for the ball but instead collected Hahn's leg, with the Gladbach midfielder forced off with injury just nine minutes after coming on late in the game.
In a statement released via his Facebook page, Geis apologised for the horror tackle.
"I cannot put into words what happened today," Geis explained. "I did a bad foul on Andre that I'm very sorry for and I apologise to him, his family, the club and all the fans.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a fair sportsman and this is something that has never happened in my career. The health of all players is very important to me.
"When I saw the images on TV, it reminded me immediately of my old team-mate Elkin Soto and hope very much that Andre is not seriously hurt.
"I understand that many people are upset and have let their emotions out against me. I can completely understand it.
"I have already apologised personally to Andre Hahn and will remain contact with him over the next few days
"Once again, I'm sorry, Andre."
