Germany coach Joachim Loew and Austria counterpart Josef Hickersberger were both banished to the stands Monday by the referee during their teams' crucial European Championship match. The pair appeared to be bickering with the fourth official on the touchline shortly before halftime of Germany's 1-0 win over Austria. Referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez ordered Hickersberger from the touchline and Loew then stood toe-to-toe with a UEFA official before being sent from the field as well. The coaches shook hands before trudging away, with whistles and jeers echoing around the stadium from bemused fans. The pair went to sit in the stands, where Loew chatted with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “We've never had a situation like this before,” Austria team manager Andreas Herzog said. “Perhaps the referees would like to have a great deal of attention.” Hickersberger had appeared exasperated by a number of decisions against his team, including the denial of a penalty kick when Christoph Metzelder appeared to pull striker Erwin Hoffer to the ground plus a yellow card to Hoffer for a late but minor challenge on Germany captain Michael Ballack. “They didn't do anything wrong,” Herzog said. UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said the governing body's control and disciplinary body would make a decision on whether to punish the pair – a move which could rule Loew out of his team's quarterfinal meeting with Portugal – on Tuesday once it had read the referee's report. The Group B match was 0-0 when the pair departed in the 41st minute. – AP __
