Bayern Munich suffered a heartbreaking loss in their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, with manager Thomas Tuchel expressing his frustration and disappointment with the officials’ decision to stop play before his team scored an injury-time equalizer. Tuchel described the decision as a “betrayal” and criticized the linesman and referee for making a “disastrous” call.
The controversy arose in the 88th minute when substitute Joselu scored twice in three minutes to give Real Madrid a 2-1 lead. In the 13th minute of stoppage time, Bayern’s Matthijs de Ligt believed he had equalized, only for the assistant referee’s flag to be raised for offside. However, television replays later showed that the decision may have been incorrect and would have required intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Unfortunately, VAR was unable to intervene because play had already been stopped. Tuchel expressed his frustration at this, stating that it went against the rules and felt like a betrayal. He acknowledged that the linesman had apologized, but he believed that it didn’t make up for the crucial mistake. Tuchel also revealed that referee Szymon Marciniak had apologized as well, but he emphasized that apologies were not enough when a place in the final was at stake.
Tuchel called for referees to be held to the same high standards as players, acknowledging that everyone on the field has to perform at their best and without making mistakes. He argued that referees should be no exception and that they should be expected to maintain their level of performance until the very end of the match.
Despite the disappointment, Real Madrid will now face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 1st. The result of this controversial semi-final will undoubtedly add fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding the use of VAR in football and the need for more consistent and accurate officiating.