Bayern criticized after controversial German Cup finale
James Thorogood
May 20, 2018
Jupp Heynckes’ last game in charge of Bayern Munich ended in the shadow of his successor. Far from celebrating a double win, the 73-year-old was forced to discuss VAR controversy and defend his side's post-match actions.
Image: picture-alliance/SvenSimon/F. Hoermann
Advertisement
A goal down with the last kick of the game fast approaching, Bayern Munich had to endure a wild ride of emotions in the dying minutes of a German Cup final for the ages.
Convinced they had earned a last-minute penalty, the Bundesliga champions were shocked when referee Felix Zwayer, having been prompted by the team in Cologne, waved their protests away despite calling for the use of VAR.
Kevin-Prince Boateng was the man in the hot seat following his attempts to clear a loose ball in the box.
“I caught [Javi] Martinez,” the Frankfurt midfielder admitted to Sky Sport Germany. “You can clearly see I caught him. After that it’s up to the referee. I’m always honest. We had a bit of luck.”
As if to rub salt in the wounds, after being denied a spot kick, Bayern’s subsequent corner was cleared, allowing Mijat Gacinovic to race clear to tap home Frankfurt’s third of the night.
After the final whistle, Zwayer was now under the spotlight. Controversial decisions have been a running theme in the final stages of a 2017/18 campaign that just a few weeks ago had Bayern fans dreaming of another Heynckes’ treble.
The players who braved the cameras were honest in their appraisal that their inability to convert chances was what cost them the game, but the frustration was clear to see.
“The last element of this mix of being unsuccessful is also the referee,” lamented Thomas Müller. “It was the same in Madrid as it was here. Today it’s hard to accept given that we have the use of VAR here in Germany.”
It seems fitting that VAR’s debut season which has been littered with controversial mishaps, miscommunication and loosely defined explanations, should find itself at the heart of a drama-riddled debate in the German Cup final.
Nevertheless, Bayern have also received criticism for their actions after the final whistle, with their frustration and disappointment seen as no excuse for not staying out on the field to see Frankfurt lift the trophy.
Referee Felix Zwayer was at the center of controversyImage: Reuters/A. Schmidt
It’s a traditional show of respect that was neglected by the German record titleholders who all headed straight down the tunnel after receiving their runners’ up medals, but for Manuel Neuer and Tom Starke.
“That wasn’t a show of respect to the winners,” stated Sky expert Lothar Matthäus. “Normally you stand there and clap, that’s fair play. It wasn’t well organized. Someone needed to tell the players to come back out.”
Forced to defend his players’ action, Heynckes claimed it was a simple “misunderstanding” before congratulating his successor Niko Kovac and Eintracht Frankfurt on being “worthy cup winners”.
“I expected an official from Bayern or the DFB to tell us to wait until the cup had been handed over,“ said Heynckes, who offcially retired on Sunday. “If I’m honest I didn’t even think about it in that moment, otherwise I’d have told the players to stay out on the pitch.”
It was far from the fairytale ending that would have been befitting for one of the club’s legends.
Controversial VAR decisions in the Bundesliga
The introduction of the use of video assistant referees to the Bundesliga has not gone as smoothly as the league had hoped. Here is a look at some of the more controversial decisions in which VARs have been involved.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Grimm
Goal after the whistle
With Dortmund in a 1-0 lead over Cologne on Matchday 4, Sokratis (third from right) scored from a corner just before the break. Referee Patrick Ittrich ruled it no goal because he had whistled the play dead before the ball crossed the line. The VAR overruled him and the goal stood. Cologne were left wondering how a goal could be given after the whistle had been blown. Dortmund went on to win 5-0.
Image: picture-alliance
Invisible bounce?
Frankfurt's 1-0 victory over Cologne on Matchday 5 was the result of a VAR penalty decision.Timo Horn (right) attempted to poke the ball away from Mijat Gacinovic. The VAR ruled it a foul and a penalty was called even though it was clear that the ball bounced up after Horn had made contact with it. Sebastien Haller converted the spot kick to secure the victory for Frankfurt.
Image: picture-alliance/G.C.von der Laage
The wrong winner?
Matchday 8: With the match tied at 1-1 in injury time, Cologne's Sehrou Guirassy (right) and Stuttgart's Dennis Aogo (middle) collided in Stuttgart's area. Referee Benjamin Cortus gave Cologne a penalty, but the VAR reversed the on-field decision despite what most agreed was inconclusive video evidence. Chadrac Akolo scored the winning goal moments later to hand Stuttgart a 2-1 win.
Image: picture-alliance/R.Rudel
Intentional handball?
Shortly after kickoff between Stuttgart and Freiburg on Matchday 10, Daniel Ginczek (left) challenged Caglar Söyüncü (right) for the ball. Söyüncu's hand touched the ball, and Ginczek argued that he had done so on purpose. The VAR agreed and found that Söyüncü had denied Ginczek a goal-scoring opportunity. Therefore he was was sent off - much to the dismay of Freiburg coach Christian Streich.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Grimm
Soft contact?
Mainz beat Cologne 1-0 on Matchday 12 thanks to a favorable VAR penalty decision. Pablo De Blasis (second from left) had dribbled into Cologne's box before going to ground after contact with Frederick Sorensen (fourth from right). The VAR awarded Mainz the penalty even though video replay showed minimal contact. Daniel Brosinski converted the spot kick to hand Cologne a third consecutive loss.
Image: picture-alliance
Intentional or defensible?
Already down 1-0 on Matchday 12, a VAR decision 14 minutes into the game gave Hertha Berlin even more grief. Gladbach's Lars Stindl fired a shot off the arm of Karim Rekik (left) and referee Bastian Dankert (right) initially gave a corner. But the VAR ruled it a handball, which also meant that Dankert had not choice but to give Rekik a yellow card. Gladbach went on to win the match 4-2.
Image: picture-alliance/S.Simon
Best hand forward?
The Signal Iduna Park errupted when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (right) scored the opening goal for Dortmund in the Revierderby on Matchday 13. But the video replay clearly showed that the Gabonese striker's hand had touched the ball as it crossed the goal line. The VAR didn't intervene, but Schalke had the last laugh as they reversed a 4-0 deficit at the half to earn a 4-4 draw in injury time.
