Sebastian Polter will not play for 1. FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga until his contract expires at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei this summer.

The decision was communicated to the 29-year-old directly by club president Dirk Zingler.

"It is one of the fundamental values of 1. FC Union Berlin that we, as Unioner, form a solid, tight-knit community in which we stand up for each other and for our club. Sebastian, the only player in the first-team squad, coaching and backroom team, does not do this unfortunately. This is not understandable for us and extremely disappointing. It's my immediate task, during difficult times, to protect the cohesion of the club's employees and squad, so we do not jeopardise the goals on the park. We have therefore decided that Sebastian will no longer be part of our matchday squad with immediate effect," said Zingler.

The striker will continue to take part in team training.