“I heard a whistle”
Anger and laughter over strange non-penalties
April 14, 2024, 8:22 a.m
Marcel Sabitzer stands at the penalty spot, shoots, scores – but the celebration is nipped in the bud. Because the game is not released and the penalty is taken back. A strange scene that causes excitement. The referee is the focus.
Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer was on everyone’s lips in the 2-1 win in Mönchengladbach, and not just because of his brace. The Austrian international was also at the center of a strange scene in the second half: after a penalty whistle from referee Florian Badstübner, Sabitzer scored what was supposed to be 3-1 for BVB – but he was too happy too early. Badstübner had not yet kicked off the game because the video assistant was still checking in the background. But he clearly didn’t convey this to the players. The penalty was finally withdrawn after a long interruption.
“Loud stadium, lots of spectators – and there was a whistle. I 100 percent heard one, but I’ve since been assured that it was from the stands,” Sabitzer told Sky afterwards: “We laughed for a moment, because that’s how it was – I don’t think – there was anything bad behind it, I really heard something.”
“They’re playing us all for fools!”
Sky expert Dietmar Hamann was less relaxed about the situation, especially because Badstübner initially did not want to comment on it. “Someone has to stand up and explain it. They’re all taking us for fools!” raged the ex-national player: “And then it takes three and a half minutes until the decision is reversed. Then I ask myself: What happened there ?”
Alex Feuerherdt, head of communications and media relations for the DFB referees, was able to understand Hamann on certain points. It was “critical that it took so long and that Sabitzer’s approach was not stopped. This caused a bit of confusion,” said Feuerherdt. However, he revealed that not only the duel between BVB professional Karim Adeyemi and Gladbach goalkeeper Jonas Omlin had been checked in the background, but also a possible offside position.
The DFB man justified the intervention of the VAR – but the referee team’s actions were not error-free either. “This can certainly be managed a little better overall,” summarized Feuerherdt: “But these are also things that can be improved. Otherwise we all have nothing left to do.”