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Referee Matthias Jöllenbeck
Photo: Sebastian Widmann / Getty Images
After Augsburg's exciting penalty, referee Matthias Jöllenbeck unequivocally admitted a mistake.
"I don't see a clear goal here," said Jöllenbeck on Sky TV after FC Augsburg's 2-1 (1-0) win over FSV Mainz 05 on Wednesday evening.
"The pictures don't show what I did." Jöllenbeck said about the momentous decision: "It was wrong, I'm really sorry." The pictures would speak for themselves.
A back pass jumped too far from the foot of Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner.
He then awkwardly collided in the penalty area with Augsburg striker Florian Niederlechner, who was already stumbling.
Niederlechner was on the ball in front of Zentner, but already in a straddling movement.
The attacker felt a touch.
"If you look at it that way, it's not a penalty," Niederlechner said later when looking at the TV pictures.
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw gave Augsburg the lead in the eleventh minute.
Video assistant Stieler under criticism
"I would have liked to be corrected afterwards," said Jöllenbeck in the direction of video referee Tobias Stieler.
"What are they doing in Cologne?" Mainz coach Bo Svensson was outraged.
"That's a blatant mistake."
The Augsburg team praised Jöllenbeck's reaction: "I always think it's great when a referee comes up," said FCA manager Stefan Reuter: "For me, that's too much self-criticism on his part." The scene was "extreme been difficult to decide".
cev/dpa