In the 75th minute of Leverkusen's German Cup tie, Borussia Monchengladbach defender Denis Zakaria simply brushed Herrlich as he went to collect the ball before, suddenly, the 46-year-old crashed to the ground.
His embarrassing dive led to an angry confontation between both sets of players and staff on the touchline, while the home fans didn't take to it well either.
From 0:06
Speaking after Leverkusen's 1-0 victory, Herrlich said sorry for his conduct.
"That certainly looked stupid and happened in the heat of the moment, I would like to apologise," Herrlich told Spiegel post-match. "The ball came towards me, I let it through my legs so that Gladbach could not intervene quickly.
"I did not need to do that, that was nonsense, then Zakaria touches me lightly, I slide away. I have to, with 46 years behind me, stop."
