Ramzy given second chance

German club 1. FC Kaiserslautern have reversed their decison to dismiss Egyptian captain Hany Ramzy.

Sexual harassment
Kaiserslautern announced last week they would offload Ramzy after learning of his recent conviction for sexual harassment, but the Fritz-Walter Stadion club have now reinstated the 32-year-old central defender at the personal request of the woman involved.

Eight-month sentence
The Egyptian was handed an eight-month prison sentence on 14 February after the incident in a nightclub but was subsequently released on probation. When Kaiserslautern were made aware of the sentence by a German newspaper, they dismissed Ramzy with immediate effect.

No additional punishment
But following Kaiserslautern’s decision, the woman in question announced via her lawyer that she did not want the player to receive additional punishment and, together with her husband, she expressed the wish that Ramzy should be allowed to continue playing for the club.

Heavy fine
On Sunday evening, following Kaiserslautern's 3-2 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, club chairman Jürgen Friedrich announced the board's decision to lift the suspension and instead impose a heavy fine on Ramzy to be paid to a charitable organisation.