Referee Legend Markus Merk Clears the Air on FC Bayern Penalty Controversy

As of: April 12, 2024, 11:14 a.m

By: Christoph Klaucke

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FC Bayern rages against Arsenal after a denied hand penalty. Referee legend Markus Merk classifies the situation.

London – The excitement after the quarter-final first leg in the Champions League was huge on both sides. Both FC Bayern and Arsenal claimed a penalty. Opinions sometimes vary widely. Germany’s referee legend Markus Merk is now joining the penalty discussion and making a clear statement to Bayern – in the spirit of football.

Referee legend Markus Merk makes a clear statement to FC Bayern in the penalty discussion

In the 2-2 draw against Arsenal, a “childish mistake” angered FC Bayern: a crazy handball scene left Tuchel completely stunned. But first things first. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya played a goal kick to Gabriel, who was positioned in the six-yard box, in the second half. The Brazilian international picked up the ball in his hand, put it back on the grass and passed it back to Raya, and the game continued. The inexperienced referee Glenn Nyberg, who was only in charge of his seventh game in the premier class, had blown the whistle shortly before the goal kick was taken.

“The meaning and spirit of football, when looking at the entire situation and the immediate context of the whistle when it was first played, speak against a penalty decision. For everyone who speaks of the biggest wrong decision or even fraud: Who would want to have a penalty against them in this situation?” said Markus Merk, three times world referee of the year, when asked by the dpa.

Former world-class referee Markus Merk makes an announcement to FC Bayern about the penalty scene at Arsenal. © Oliver Dietze/John Walton/dpa

FC Bayern rages against Arsenal after a hand penalty was refused

“We should have had a clear penalty when the referee blew his whistle, the goalkeeper passed the ball and Gabriel took it into his hands. “It’s the clearest penalty I’ve ever seen,” said star striker Harry Kane. It’s hard to imagine if the scene would have taken place in the other penalty area and the referee would have whistled a penalty. Bayern would have been furious, but even so the criticism was great.

The referee told the players that it was a beginner’s mistake (“kids mistake”) and that he wouldn’t whistle that in a quarter-final of the Champions League, reported coach Thomas Tuchel, who was already raging about a denied hand penalty after the BVB defeat. “This is a completely new way of interpreting the rules.” Joshua Kimmich said that for him it was not a “childish mistake, in the end it is crucial to the game and bitter that we didn’t get it.”

For Merk it was “technically a penalty”

For Merk, it was more of a rookie mistake on the part of the referee. His whistle immediately before the goal kick was taken was unnecessary and therefore irritated the Arsenal player. “Annoying,” said the 62-year-old.

In terms of rules, there was no discussion in this case; there should have been penalties, explained Merk. “Especially when professionals make such mistakes, even at this level, they have to be sanctioned. How else am I supposed to explain to the Bambinikicker that he is not allowed to do it when he has seen that Arsenal star Gabriel does the same?” said the long-time Bundesliga and FIFA referee.

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Not taking a penalty against Bayern shortly before the end was the right decision

Merk believes it was right that Nyberg refused a possible penalty shortly before the end. Bukayo Saka, who fell in injury time after contact with national goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the penalty area, “almost sought the contact, the foul, the penalty” with a kick.

The Bayern players and those responsible unanimously agreed to this. Significantly: Neuer, who even impressed Schweinsteiger with a “brilliant” trick before the Bayern penalty, had to be treated on his leg by the Munich doctors immediately after the final whistle. The Arsenal attacker apparently slightly injured the FCB keeper in his attempt to score a penalty. (ck/dpa)

2024-04-12 12:23:27
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