Julian Nagelsmann counted – and counted again. But the calculation didn’t seem to work out for the Bayern coach either. Suddenly there was agitated confusion in the final phase of the Bundesliga encounter between SC Freiburg and FC Bayern Munich, players, coaches and officials discussed with each other, and radio contact with Cologne was apparently sought before referee Christian Dingert continued the game with eight minutes of stoppage time brought to an end.
The fact is, however, that was later also proven by still images from television, for a few moments on Saturday there were twelve of Munich on the pitch. Obviously, the Freiburger Dingert drew attention to the possible violation of the rules after the substitutes Marcel Sabitzer and Niklas Süle entered the field. “I noticed that Niki comes in and nobody goes out,” said Freiburg defender Nico Schlotterbeck on Sky TV, Kingsley Coman was the man who was still too much on the pitch, apparently because the wrong number was initially displayed when changing had been.
What could follow from this was initially unclear to those involved. “It was bizarre, I’ve never seen it like that before,” said Freiburg’s sporting director Jochen Saier. He could not judge the consequences. Now we all have to calm down a bit and think about it.” Bayern were leading 3-1 at the time of the break, and after almost 100 minutes the scoreboard was a clear 4-1 for the record champions. In the press conference, the “weird situation”, which Nagelsmann also spoke of, was not the dominant topic on either side, but differences in how it was dealt with were revealed.
The final decision now lies with the DFB
While Nagelsmann cited standards of fair play and assumed that the “eight or nine seconds” he had determined were irrelevant because they had no consequences, Christian Streich argued in a strictly formalistic manner with reference to the regulations. He does not understand the discussion that has already started about a possible Freiburg protest, he said. How to deal with this case, which is rare but does occur, must be clear from the rules. “We are subject to these rules and we act accordingly.” He couldn’t or didn’t want to be more precise, but it was said that the people of Freiburg wanted to consult in peace.
Referee Dingert said that he noted the incident in the game report. It was “about 15, 16 seconds”, now “the DFB has to decide”. According to the German Press Agency, consequences for the game rating are unlikely. The rules state: “If a team official, a substitute, a substituted or sent off player or a third person enters the field of play”, the referee only has to stop the game if this person intervenes in the game. In addition, the referee must “reject the person from the field after the game has been interrupted” and take appropriate disciplinary measures. The only possibility would have been a yellow card for Coman, who had not left the lawn in time.
Even before that post-match, it had been an entertaining encounter on Saturday, especially after the first 45 minutes without a goal. After the break, it was the lively duel that the audience had hoped for between the industry leader and Streich’s Baden football flagship company, with goals, emotions, but also with very special stories – which in the end, above all, the people of Munich enjoyed, the were not deterred by intermittent tough phases and deserved the victory.
The 0-1 in the 58th minute was a co-production between two men who entered the pitch under special circumstances. Kimmich free kick, Goretzka header, goal. That looked easy. But Joshua Kimmich only followed his team on matchday after the birth of his third child was still a long time coming. And Leon Goretzka was back on the ball for the first time after four months out through injury. But while Julian Nagelsmann and Goretzka were still happy about the joint coup after he was substituted (62nd), another story from Freiburg came to the fore.
Nils Petersen had extended his contract during the week, he had been substituted on at the same time as Goretzka’s departure – and immediately took the first opportunity not only to make it 1-1 but also scored his 100th competitive goal for the Sport-Club (63rd). There was now a festive mood in the new Freiburg stadium, which was allowed to be jam-packed for the first time. “Take off the Bavarians’ lederhosen” is something people like to hear and sing in Breisgau.
But the jubilation was short-lived. In the 73rd minute, Serge Gnabry, who had also just come on as a substitute, scored again for Munich’s lead. And when Coman raised in the 82nd minute, the winner was clear. What followed was the matter of substitutions and the lavish overtime, in which Freiburg didn’t change anything in the result, but Munich did, who added ice cold again, in the person of Marcel Sabitzer (90 + 6).
