Schalke heavily fined for lighter incident

Berlin: Schalke have been fined 60,000 euros ($69,636) for failing to provide sufficient security after their assistant coach Sven Huebscher was pole-axed by a lighter thrown by one of the own fans.

Roberto di Matteo`s assistant was left with a bleeding head wound after being struck by a metal lighter on the sidelines during the Royal Blues home league match against Cologne last December.

The heavy fine, handed out by the German Football Association (DFB), comes after a referee`s assistant was also hit by a plastic beer cup during a home league match last September.

Schalke face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and are currently fifth in the Bundesliga table before their first league match against Hanover 96 on January 31.