THIRTEEN-TIME league champions APR have suspended head coach Andreas Spier following his ‘unbecoming conduct’ during the team’s goalless draw against AS Kigali played on Saturday at Stade de Kigali.

The German coach was sent to the stands by referee Hudu Munyemana for arguing and over complaining to the fourth official, Francois Xavier Ngarambe.

Spier, who has a history of harassing match referees over contentious decisions, challenged a couple of decisions that went against his team and was persistently told to calm down by the referee and fourth official but he was not taking any of that forcing Munyemana to send him off.

Out of frustration, Spier angrily walked off the pitch before slamming his jacket on the ground in-front of the VIP section where APR’s top officials including club chairman Maj. Gen. Jack Musemakweli, Maj. Gen. Alex Kagame and Lt Gen Fred Ibingira were seated.

His antics drew boos from the crowd and this didn’t go down well with his boss. The army side is well known for strictness on discipline- it was inevitable the club would crack a whip on the Coach. 

Spier, who renewed his contract with APR at the start of the season, now faces a one-match ban from Rwanda Football Federation on top of the five-match ban from his club.

"It’s true he will be punished accordingly, and for the start, the coach (Andreas Spier) will not be allowed on the training ground for a certain period and will not be in charge for up to five matches on top of other internal penalties,” APR spokesperson George Gatete said on Sunday.

Gatete confirmed assistant coaches Vincent Mashami and Didier Bizimana will be in charge of the team for the next five matches.

The German coach will miss matches against Police [Feb 9], Gicumbi [Feb 16], Mukura [March 8], Etincelles [March 22] and Rayon Sports [March 30].

Not the first time

This is not the first time Spier has been involved in controversy.

A few years back, Spier was involved in a brawl with the current AS Kigali coach Andrew Casambugo, who at that time was a coach of SEC academy during a second division match.

The temperamental Romania-born German has had quite a few other confrontations with referees, journalists and sometimes with fans.

He arrived in Rwanda in 2008 and the following year, he was put in charge of the women national team before being appointed the head coach of APR football academy which later changed its name to Intare FC and featured in the second division league.

APR, who are gunning for a record extending 14th league title after a trophy-less 2012/13 season, are placed second with 37 points, level with arch rivals Rayon Sports on top of the table with a better goal difference of 20 goals against APR’s 18.