Stegemann returns: Referee in use after threats to murder!

referee Sascha Stegemann will run a game from Borussia Dortmund again on Friday evening. The top duel against Bayer Leverkusen is scheduled for 8.30 p.m. Stegemann last led a game with BVB participation in April 2023, which included a controversial penalty whistle that he hadn't given. In this game, which ended 1-1 against VfL Bochum, the penalty whistle was later recognized as a mistake, both by the referee and the association. The video assistant had checked the scene, but did not intervene.

After the game said, Stegemann received death threats and had to experience hostility from the fan scene. At that time, Dortmund was in the title fight with FC Bayern, and the draw led to Bavaria took over the lead. At the end of the 2022/23 season, Bavaria won the eleventh Bundesliga title in a row, tied with Dortmund.

reactions and consequences

As the ZDF reported, Stegemann was under police protection for four weeks after his mistake. The incident said occurred on April 29, 2023 when a legitimate penalty for Dortmund was denied. Dortmund cost the draw two points in the championship duel against Bavaria. The following day, Stegemann publicly apologized for his mistake and made the threats of murder against him. In the Cologne Sport University, he described the reactions after the game, including a disturbing news of his wife.

Stegemann became aware that his decisions could possibly influence the outcome of the German Championship. After the game, he was so churned that he could no longer remember the first 30 kilometers of his return trip. In the evening after the game, police officers rang his door and reported on concrete threats of murder against him and his family. He received police protection for four weeks and was accompanied the following day for a television appearance in Munich. His wife supported him in staying referee.

The incident was not only a great burden for the referee, but also led to a reflection on his passion for the referee. Stegemann stated that after the DFB Cup final in 2022 he might have lost passion, and emphasized the need for humility in referee.

The key data of the current season 2024/25 include the DFB Cup quarter-finals on 04/05. and 25./26. February 2025 and the 34th matchday of the Bundesliga on May 17, 2025.