MOnce again, the use of the video referee in the Bundesliga caused a stir. And once again trainers were annoyed that he had even turned on. Surprisingly, Daniel Farke from Borussia Mönchengladbach and Michael Wimmer from VfB Stuttgart agreed after the 3: 1 (2: 1) of the Rhinelanders on Friday.
The trigger was a punch from Gladbach’s Ramy Bensebaini in the face of Stuttgart’s Waldemar Anton after about 15 minutes. “There are no two opinions. That was a clear red card,” Anton complained after the game. Referee Matthias Jöllenbeck saw things differently and showed Bensebaini a yellow card for alleged unsportsmanlike conduct. “How can you give that yellow?” Anton asked angrily. Wimmer also found that “Gladbach could not have complained about a red card”.
In fact, video referee Tobias Welz intervened and quoted Jöllenbeck in front of the monitor. But the referee in Freiburg stuck to his opinion. The fact that the game was interrupted for several minutes then upset both coaches. “I’ve always learned that the VAR should step in when it’s a clear wrong decision. If the referee still sticks to his opinion, then that speaks for itself,” said Farke and Wimmer also agreed: “If the VAR intervenes, there must be a clear wrong decision. Apparently that was not the case.”
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann also believes that disputed scenes such as correct goals, possible penalties or sending off should be checked more quickly from his point of view.
In his view, when the video assistant intervenes, “the screen time must be reduced because everyone gets nervous and the rhythm of a game is totally broken,” emphasized Nagelsmann: “If you look at a situation like this for two and a half minutes, that’s it too long. Then it’s just not clear if you need 17 repetitions,” argued the Bayern coach.
Who is the boss on the pitch? Referee Tobias Welz (archive image was the man on the video screen this time.
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Image: dpa
In addition, when implementing the video evidence, he would like the hierarchy of the decision-makers to be retained. “In general, I think that if there are clear situations that the referee can also see (on the pitch), then the referee should trust himself, make decisions and continue to have sovereignty,” said Nagelsmann before FC Bayern’s away game on Saturday in Berlin against Hertha BSC (3.30 p.m./in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky). “In general, I think the video evidence is good,” said Nagelsmann. For the 35-year-old, the use of technology brings “a little more fairness” into play and at the same time reduces the pressure on the referees.
Why not a challenge?
“I wouldn’t have anything against a challenge with the coach either, because then you would have more responsibility and the referee would be relieved,” said Nagelsmann. The VAR would then only be used at the request of the coach involved in the game. Each team could be given a certain number of checking options for each half of the game – as has long been the norm in other sports such as volleyball.
