Slovan Bratislava captain Vladimír Weiss Jr. (source: TASR)
At the end of the second match of the Champions League third qualifying round against Kairat Almaty, Slovan Bratislava captain Vladimír Weiss Jr was sent off after throwing a shin guard at, and then kicking, a member of Kairat’s support staff. He also acted aggressively towards the referee.
It remains unclear what disciplinary punishment he will face. Slovan’s general director Ivan Kmotrík Jr told Sport24.sk that the penalty is expected to be severe, though nothing has yet been confirmed and UEFA has not issued an official statement.
“This is who I am”
According to an anonymous source close to Slovan, rumours suggest Weiss Jr could miss up to five European matches. Since Slovan is guaranteed a place in at least the UEFA Conference League, the suspension could significantly affect the team’s campaign.
“I found out about it just a few hours ago, literally firsthand. Vlado [Vladimír Weiss Jr] is supposed to miss up to five games. Everyone is in shock and didn’t expect something like this,” the source said late last week.
This could mean that Weiss Jr may not feature in the Conference League group stage at all, as it consists of six rounds. A red card from the Kairat Almaty match means he is suspended for the next match.
The club appears to be preparing for that possibility. Head coach Vladimír Weiss did not include his son on the roster for the two Conference League play-off matches against Young Boys Bern. Under UEFA rules, suspensions do not apply to players who are not registered for the competition.
In an apology video posted on social media, Weiss Jr admitted that “it should not have happened,” but added: “This is who I am. Unfortunately, I cannot change.” Following a wave of criticism, Slovan later disabled comments on the post.
His father was sent off too
This is Weiss Jr’s third disciplinary incident in six months. In February, he made an obscene gesture towards AS Trenčín fans during a Niké Liga match. In March, he was dismissed for verbally abusing the Spartak Trnava bench.
The incident followed another outburst within the club. In the first match against Kairat Almaty, Slovan coach Vladimír Weiss Sr was also sent off in the final minutes after insulting the referee, having already been shown a yellow card earlier in the game.
