Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski will appear before the German Football Association's (DFB) disciplinary committee on Tuesday in a bid to have his three-match league ban overturned.
Lewandowski was given the ban for his first-half red card in the defending German champions' shock 4-1 defeat at home to Hamburg last weekend and is suspended for Saturday's Bundesliga match at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Poland striker was shown a straight red for a challenge on Hamburg midfielder Per Skjelbred in the 31st minute of the game, but Dortmund are hoping for leniency next Tuesday when the DFB hear Lewandowski's appeal.
"We believe the verdict is excessive and want a hearing," said Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc, with Borussia currently second in the Bundesliga, but 15 points behind leaders Bayern Munich before this weekend's matches.
With 14 goals in 20 Bundesliga games, Lewandowski is Dortmund's leading scorer this season and coach Juergen Klopp would love to have him available for forthcoming matches against Borussia Moenchengladbach and Hanover 96 in the next few weeks.
"Many people have said a yellow card would have sufficed and we think it should be discussed again," said Klopp.
Lewandowski scored in Dortmund's 2-2 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday in the Champions League last 16 first-leg clash in Ukraine.
The return leg at Borussia's Signal Iduna Park stadium is on March 5.
Source: AFP
