Hamburg are contesting the disciplinary ruling that handed Super Eagles forward Philip Otele a potential two-match suspension following his red card in the Bundesliga North Derby against Werder Bremen, according to a report by Hamburger Abendblatt, via Ligainsider.

The German club has formally filed an appeal against the decision by the DFB sports court, which had initially imposed a two-game ban after reviewing the incident.

The case will now be reconsidered in a rehearing, leaving Otele’s suspension temporarily unresolved.

Otele was dismissed in the 79th minute of Hamburg’s 3-1 defeat after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention at the Weserstadion.

Referee Florian Exner had originally allowed play to continue after the forward made contact with Werder Bremen midfielder Cameron Puertas in what appeared to be an unintentional challenge during a contested moment.

However, following a pitchside review, Exner changed his decision and issued a straight red card, classifying the incident as serious foul play.

The sending-off came at a critical stage of the match, with Hamburg already trailing, and further complicated their attempts to recover in the closing stages.

The incident has since sparked debate due to the involvement of VAR and differing interpretations of intent in the challenge.

While officials deemed the contact punishable by dismissal, Hamburg argue that the action lacked malicious intent and warrants further review.

Otele, who had been introduced in the second half as Hamburg sought a response to their deficit, saw his involvement cut short by the decision.

His potential absence for two matches would represent a setback for the club’s attacking options during a key phase of the Bundesliga campaign.

The DFB is expected to schedule a hearing in the coming days, where both the club and disciplinary representatives will present their arguments before a final ruling is made on whether the suspension stands, is reduced, or overturned.

Wale Adejumo