Wolfsburg midfielder Luiz Gustavo has said he was "shocked" when he saw images of himself being held back by teammates after he was sent off against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was sent off for two bookings as Wolfsburg were crushed 6-0 by his former club and was been fined €15,000 by the German FA (DFB) for his angry reaction.
Luiz Gustavo said he regretted those protests to referee Felix Zwayer and added: "Sadly, this was a moment when I couldn't control myself."
The dismissal was the eighth of his career and saw him equal former Germany international Jens Nowotny's Bundesliga red cards record in 91 fewer matches.
"I was never sent off while at Bayern, even though I did not play differently than for Hoffenheim or Wolfsburg," Luiz Gustavo added.
He featured in 64 Bundesliga games for the German champions between January 2011 until May 2013 and was booked 12 times.