Hoffenheim’s coach says two of his players were 10 minutes late for a post-match doping test because they went to the locker room to get fresh shirts.

Initial reports said Andreas Ibertsberger and Christoph Janker were late because they attended a team meeting. But coach Ralf Rangnick told a regional television programme on Sunday night they wanted to put on dry shirts after the match and that’s what caused the delay.

Germany’s football federation is investigating the case and both players could be suspended for a year if found in violation of anti-doping regulations.

“In the past, even the anti-doping expert said it was fine for players to go into the locker room briefly to get fresh shirts,” Rangnick said, adding that other Bundesliga teams had done the same.

Rangnick denied that he had called a team meeting after the 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach on 7 February. “It is definitely not true that I called a team meeting. I didn’t know that day who had been picked for the test,” he said.

Moenchengladbach said on Sunday it would contest the outcome of the game due to the federation’s investigation.

According to the most recent doping regulations, players picked for post-match urine tests are obliged to give their samples immediately after the final whistle.

Two players from each team are randomly chosen.

“It’s out of question that there is doping in Hoffenheim or in the Bundesliga,” Rangnick said.

Hoffenheim is one of the success stories in the Bundesliga. The small provincial club was promoted at the start of the season and has even led the standings for long stretches. It is currently second.