Bayer Leverkusen defender Michal Kadlec suffered a broken nose after being attacked by two fans of Bundesliga rival Cologne on Saturday night.
Kadlec was with his girlfriend and some Leverkusen teammates following their side's 1-0 win at Hoffenheim when the Czech defender was ''violently attacked'' by two men in a Cologne nightclub, Leverkusen said on its website Sunday.
Cologne said that neither fan was a member of the club, that they were known to be ''violent criminals in sport,'' and that one of them has been serving a four-year nationwide stadium ban since 2010.
Cologne board chairman Claus Horstmann apologized on behalf of the club and said he would contact Kadlec to ''apologize to him directly and express our regret over this nasty incident.''
''It can't be the case that players from other teams can't move around freely in Cologne and are attacked just because they play for league rivals. We condemn this incident in the strongest terms,'' Horstmann said.
The 27-year-old Kadlec will undergo an operation on his nose on Monday.
''I still want to play with a mask against Hannover on Saturday, if it can happen somehow,'' the left back said.
Kadlec would be the fourth Leverkusen player to play with a mask this season following facial injuries to Michael Ballack, Andre Schuerrle and Simon Rolfes.
