Pander pays for Hristov error

Still suspended
Wolfsburg beat 1. FC Köln's amateurs 3-0 in a first-round match on Sunday but were subsequently eliminated because they fielded an ineligible player in new signing Marian Hristov. The Bulgarian international midfield player had not finished serving the three-match suspension he received after being sent off while playing for 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 2003 German Cup final against FC Bayern München.

Hristov injury
Köln complained to the German Football Association after the match and were awarded a 2-0 win. Pander took full responsibility for the mistake and, after initially announcing he would continue at the club, resigned his position late yesterday. To make matters worse for Wolfsburg, Hristov suffered a knee injury during the game and is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks.

Out of qualifier
He joins his Wolfsburg team-mate and compatriot Martin Petrov on the sidelines and both will miss Bulgaria's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland on 4 September.