Mainz's Rodriguez apologises for horror foul

Berlin (AFP) – Mainz midfielder Jose Rodriguez has apologised for his horror foul, which cut Augsburg’s Dominik Kohr leg to the bone and earned him a fine from his German league club.

“I am really sorry that Dominik was hurt and I have already personally apologised to him,” Rodriguez wrote on Mainz’s Facebook page.

“I just wanted to block the ball and help the team protect our lead.

“From the bottom of my heart, I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Rodriguez, 21, a product of Real Madrid’s academy, made his Mainz debut on Sunday when he came on in the 85th minute with his team 3-1 ahead in what proved to be the final score, but was sent off just eight minutes later.

He was shown a straight red for his flying tackle, which saw his boot run down the  shin of Kohr, 22, who had to be stretchered off.

“The leg is intact, but the muscles and tendons are affected. It’s a deep wound, right down to the bone,” said Augsburg’s manager Stefan Reuter on Monday. 

Mainz coach Martin Schmidt said Rodriguez would be fined and took a dim view of the clear foul.

“This nasty face is not the face of Mainz 05. There will be a fine,” said Schmidt on Sunday evening after his side picked up their first win of the season.

“You dare not be happy. We’d like to have fallen into each others arms (at the final whistle), but that (tackle) took away some of the joy.”

Augsburg captain Paul Verhaegh has said he is ‘unbelievably angry’ with Rodriguez and Reuter said the tackle was ‘galling’.