Bayer Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky exempted team-mate Odilon Kossounou from any blame after he received a red card in the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern on Saturday.
Kossounou saw a second yellow card in the 44th minute for a foul on Boris Tomiak. Leverkusen played the entire second half with 10 men but held on to claim the title with a 1-0 win, thanks to Granit Xhaka's goal in the 16th.
"It was the first red card for us this season so it was a terrifying moment. But we controlled it (the game) well, without a real big threat from the opponent," Hradecky told reporters after the game.
"He (Kossounou) played a fantastic season, we also played for him. An unlucky action, it's part of football. But he's a great guy who also deserved to be champion," the goalkeeper stressed.