Will the win be denied? How FC Bayern made the mistake of changing
When FC Bayern won in Freiburg, the Munich team continued to play after being substituted with twelve players. The referee now explains how it came about. Apparently team manager Kathleen Krüger made a mistake. The case could have an aftermath.
DFC Bayern’s 4-1 (0-0) win at SC Freiburg on the 28th match day of the Bundesliga could have an aftermath. It’s about a scene in the 86th minute, when the game was actually already decided when the score was 3:1.
Leon Goretzka had put Bayern ahead with a header after a free kick by Joshua Kimmich (58th). Nils Petersen equalized five minutes later before Serge Gnabry (73′) and Kingsley Coman turned the game around (82′).
Referee Christian Dingert
Source: dpa/Philipp von Ditfurth
Then Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann changed. Niklas Süle and Marcel Sabitzer (later to make it 4-1) came onto the field, Coman and Corentin Tolisso went down. When the game started again, Coman was still on the pitch and even touched the ball once. The guests were on the pitch with twelve players for almost 20 seconds.
“A confused situation,” says Dingert
Referee Christian Dingert interrupted the game for several minutes before letting the match continue with a ball from the referee. Apparently, the Freiburger Dingert had drawn attention to the possible violation of the rules. “I noticed that Niki comes in and no one goes out,” SC defender Nico Schlotterbeck told Sky TV.
Dingert clarified after the game how the error came about. Apparently, Bayern’s team manager, Kathleen Krüger, displayed the wrong replacement number on the electronic board. “It was a confused situation. It was a double switch and the wrong number was displayed. Coman didn’t feel addressed,” said the referee on Sky.
Before his planned substitution, shirt number 29 had been displayed. The Frenchman wore this in the past with Bayern, but now he wears the number 11. This is how the confusion arose. “We then noticed it relatively quickly, consulted Cologne and then continued the game with the referee’s ball,” said Dingert.
That’s what the people of Freiburg say
“I would have to watch it again in peace,” said Freiburg’s sports director Jochen Saier. There had been intense discussions between the Bayern officials and the team of referees on the sidelines. It was initially unclear to what extent the incident could have consequences. “I can’t judge that,” said Saier.
However, the legal and procedural rules of the DFB are quite clear on the matter. Article 17, paragraph 4 states: „If a player was not allowed to play or use a game, the team that culpably used this player lost the game 0:2 and the opponent won 2:0, unless the game was not continued by the referee after the player who was not eligible to play or be deployed.”
Freiburg coach Christian Streich said: “I’m sure we won’t have to appeal. But that there is a set of rules. We are subject to this set of rules and act accordingly. That is my understanding.”
