April 23, 1994 will go down in the history books of the Bundesliga. At that time there was a goal in the Munich Olympic Stadium that actually wasn’t a goal. Thomas Helmer’s phantom goal is now just embarrassing for everyone involved. But it has dramatic consequences for the rest of the season.
“We won’t get the ball in.” After watching countless repetitions, Bavaria’s vice president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was ultimately helped by gallows humor. The phantom goal by Munich defender Thomas Helmer on April 23, 1994 against 1. FC Nürnberg is now actually just embarrassing for everyone involved. Thomas Helmer in particular reacts almost allergically when he is asked about the strange circumstances of that afternoon: “It’s actually not that pleasant for me when, after 17 years as a professional footballer, this one scene is always the first to be brought out.” Understandable. But since the then national player from Herford in East Westphalia did not cover himself with glory in this game on the 32nd matchday of the 1993/94 season, he probably has to live with the fact that a new generation of football fans will be in disbelief again on the thirtieth anniversary will watch scenes from this afternoon.
The so-called phantom goal in itself would have been enough for this goal, which wasn’t a goal, to go down in the history books of the Bundesliga. But it was the general conditions of this classic that made the story so special in retrospect. There was a lot at stake for both Bayern and Nuremberg on this summery April afternoon. The Munich team fought for the title in the long-distance duel against 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the club needed every point in the fight against relegation. When Bayern became champions in the end and 1. FC Nürnberg had to go to the second division only because of the worse goal difference, one person in particular suffered: Thomas Helmer. Even today, Bayern’s defender at the time says about the outcome of the league: “From my point of view, it couldn’t have been much worse!”
But what exactly happened back then? Bayern and 1. FC Nürnberg had fought a duel on equal terms until the middle of the first half, until the scene occurred in the 26th minute that led to 1-0 for the record champions. Thomas Helmer first shot club goalkeeper Andreas Köpke and then hit the second ball more than unfortunately and just past the Nuremberg goal post. Smiling desperately, Helmer then held his own head. And Köpke? Looking back, he said: “Getting the ball past the goal was more difficult than shooting it in.”
“I looked at the sun”
And referee Hans-Joachim Osmers had actually already decided on a goal kick for the club, but then surprisingly he changed his mind: “I had doubts and relied on the linesman’s decision.” And this linesman’s name was Jörg Jablonski and he said directly after the game: “I looked at the sun and was convinced that the ball was in there.” A crazy misconception! And even though basically every player on the field and the officials on the sideline knew exactly what had happened, the goal actually counted. Bayern’s goal anthem sounded late in the background. And just a few seconds later, referee Osmers started the game again with the score now 1-0 for the record champions.
Many years later, linesman Jablonski still hadn’t gotten over his decision. Justifying himself, he said: “I watched the scene many times on video and thousands of fans behind me threw their arms up in celebration because it clearly looked like a goal from the side. 99 percent would have raised the flag.” Another crazy statement. Because on TV, commentator Werner Hansch said without a doubt: “Nobody saw the ball in the goal.” Funnily enough, Thomas Helmer said a memorable sentence in an interview after the game: “You could tell on TV that it wasn’t a goal. But I didn’t see it in the game.”
A statement that can of course be more than doubted – but at the same time it may nip in the bud a debate that is still going on today. Because referee Osmers insists that he asked Helmer on the field whether the ball was in. The Bayern defender, on the other hand, still confidently points out a mistake in interviews that he believes Osmers and he made together: “We definitely should have talked to each other after the scene.” Whether they did it or not will ultimately no longer be clear.
Replay seals relegation
But all of this would probably still be something for the anecdotal corner of the Bundesliga if the game hadn’t ended 2-1 for Bayern. And that despite the fact that Thomas Helmer appeared again – after he actually scored to make it 2-0. After a goal from Nuremberg, the national player at the time caused a penalty shortly before the end. But Bayern goalkeeper Raimond Aumann saved Manni Schwabl’s weak penalty. However, if the game had ended in a draw, Nuremberg would probably have saved themselves the objection to the scoring of the game. So there was a replay just four days before the end of the season, which Bayern clearly won 5-0.
For Nuremberg, the outcome of the game meant final relegation. Bayern, on the other hand, were able to celebrate the championship at the end of the season – also thanks to these two points. A title that still has one small flaw, because directly after the game with Helmer’s phantom goal, Lautern’s then manager Reiner Geye said: “If the title doesn’t work out, we can at least feel like moral champions.”
Even thirty years later, Thomas Helmer would probably like to undo this day. But in the history of the Bundesliga, April 23, 1994 will always be a day that will be remembered fondly. Because Helmer’s phantom goal remains one of the strangest (non-)hits in league history – and one of the most embarrassing moments for everyone involved on that summer April afternoon thirty years ago.