The anger at FC Bayern over the missed hand penalty in the Champions League is still great. Thomas Müller is now making a general criticism of Fifa referee boss Pierluigi Collina.
London/Munich – Lots of goals, a high tactical level and two controversial penalty scenes: The 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final between FC Bayern and Arsenal FC offered a lot. The Munich team were able to leave the hangover mood from the league after bankruptcies against Dortmund and Heidenheim behind them and stand up to the Premier League table leaders.
Thanks to the draw, Tuchel's team has a place in the semi-finals completely in their own hands in the second leg at the Allianz Arena - but the joy of the good starting position is further clouded by anger at the referee. The Munich team feels cheated out of a supposedly clear penalty. Thomas Müller is now venting his anger.
Penalty trouble at FC Bayern: Thomas Müller criticizes referees in general
“It's perhaps what Matthias Sammer has often mentioned: German teams and the lobby among Collina's colleagues, that needs to be questioned. “What’s being whistled in the penalty areas,” said Müller in outrage at
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. With “Collina” Müller refers to referee legend Pierluigi Collina, who has been head of the FIFA Referees Commission since 2017.
Specifically, the criticism is about the situation in the 67th minute of the game. After both teams made substitutions, the game continued with a goal kick for Arsenal. The Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg whistled the action as usual after substitutions. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya passed the ball to defender Gabriel, who picked up the ball in his hand. A crazy handball scene that left Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel stunned afterwards.
Gabriel was apparently irritated by the referee's whistle, picked up the ball and put it back in for a goal kick. The Bayern stars immediately protested to the referee team and wanted a hand penalty. Nyberg apparently dismissed the protests on the grounds that it was a “childish mistake,” as Tuchel explained afterwards.
“Clear penalty”: Müller and Bayern from
For Müller, who sat on the bench for 90 minutes in the first leg, and his colleagues, this was a weak justification that may have cost Bayern their victory. “The referee clearly saw it. The mistake was just too stupid and too petty for him to give up a penalty. But he doesn't have to decide that. The referee is there to implement the rules,” said Müller clearly.
“Even if you may not be satisfied with the rule. I don't think the rule says: OK, if it wasn't intentional, put the ball down again for a goal kick. I don't know what's in there. I think it’s a clear penalty,” added Müller.
Referee experts are also divided as to whether the record champions were really denied a clear penalty. However, referee legend Markus Merk made a clear statement to FC Bayern in the penalty discussion.
(LuHa)