Papy Djilobodji has been handed a two-game ban for unsportsmanlike conduct after making a throat-slitting gesture in Werder Bremen's 1-1 draw with Mainz on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, on loan at Werder from Chelsea, made the signal at a grounded Pablo de Blasis after battling for possession with the attacker during the Bundesliga clash.
A three-match suspension for the Chelsea loanee had initially been proposed by the German Football Association (DFB) - a similar sanction to that of St Pauli's Deniz Naki for making the gesture toward Hansa Rostock fans in 2009 - but Werder appealed Tuesday's ruling.
Bremen's appeal has been partially successful, but they will nonetheless be without the centre-back in their upcoming games.
"The DFB disciplinary board has handed out a two-match ban as well as a €15,000 fine to Papy Djilobodji," a statement on the club's website read.
"It followed Werder's claim that the provocative element of the player's gesture was not as severe as in the case of Naki in 2009, who received a three-match ban.
"The player and Werder Bremen will not appeal the punishment and accept the decision. Papy Djilobodji will therefore be suspended for the games against [Borussia] Dortmund and Augsburg, before also missing the game against Wolfsburg as a result of his fifth yellow card."
CEO Thomas Eichin believes Djilobodji will be thoroughly missed in the battle against relegation, but Werder are keen to draw a line under the incident.
"Papy's suspension hits us hard and is obviously a serious disadvantage for us in the battle to stay up," Eichin commented.
"We won't bemoan the situation, however. We'll be professional about it. We've accepted the decision to bring some closure to the issue and to allow us to focus on what happens on the pitch.
"We also want to protect our player, who has been excessively vilified in the media for a thoughtless gesture. The current tendency to respond in an exaggerated manner to the actions of young people is something we should all think about."
