Roger Schmidt Banned Following Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Dortmund Suspension

Bayer Leverkusen manager Roger Schmidt has been handed a five-game ban in the Bundesliga and fined €20,000 (£15,804) for refusing to leave the touchline when ordered to by the referee during Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Per PA Sport (via Sky Sports), the German Football Association sanction includes a touchline ban for upcoming fixtures against Mainz, Werder Bremen and Augsburg, "with a further two games suspended until June 30, 2017."

Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller has also been handed a €10,000 (£7,904) fine for questioning the initial decision to send Schmidt off.

Sunday's clash between Bayer and Dortmund was brought to an abrupt halt at the BayArena after referee Felix Zwayer signalled both teams into the changing rooms in the 68th minute, per ESPN FC.

ESPN FC reported the controversy erupted after Schmidt refused to leave the touchline, and BT Sport Football provided footage of the sudden stoppage:

Zwayer appeared to be cornered by Leverkusen players Stefan Kiessling and Kyriakos Papadopoulos prior to calling players to the touchline and disappearing down the tunnel.

Schmidt's reluctance to head to the stands proved to be the tipping point for Zwayer, who then took what he saw as the next logical step and put a temporary hold on proceedings, per Bleacher Report UK:

Following the game, Schmidt admitted the referee was right to send him off, via Alex Richards of the Mirror:

"Yeah, there was a reason to send me to the stands," said the Bayer boss. "The protest from me probably wasn't appropriate. I demanded an explanation, and it was my fault. I misjudged the situation."

The BBC's John Bennett described his "astonishment" at seeing an official put a stop to the fixture:

A win at the BayArena was enough for second-placed Dortmund to climb back to within eight points of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.