Referee Stieler in focus: penalty drama in the Borussen duel!

Referee Stieler in focus: penalty drama in the Borussen duel!

In the heated duel between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, the game ended with a 1-1 draw, which focused primarily through the decisions of referee Tobias Stieler. The awarding of a penalty for Mönchengladbach in the 71st minute, which only came about through the intervention of the video assistant, was particularly controversial. The latter decided that Pascal Groß Tim had brought down in the penalty area. Stieler explained that he was informed by his VAR colleague that it was a holding offense, and pointed out that Groß only looked at his opponent and not at the ball when he outlined small service. "I had a suspicion," said Stieler, who was able to share the understanding of Dortmund's sports director Sebastian Kehl for the decision because he considered it to be a clear wrong decision, as he subsequently expressed. In the meantime, the Gladbacher cheered for the equalization, but for the Dortmund the confusion about the penalty was not understandable, as the players Nico Schlotterbeck and Groß confirmed, who were of the opinion that the foul was by no means worthwhile.

controversial decisions in the focus

Already in the first half, Stieler was in discussion several times when he retired several potential penalty for Mönchengladbach. In the 13th minute there was an unfortunate foot hit by Ramy Bensebaini to Joe Scally, who rated Stieler as not punishable because "none of the players complained". In addition, a handball was not punished by Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy after a shot by Rocco Reitz. Stieler compared the scene with a similar incident during the European Championship and emphasized that "during the current time with so many question marks" there was no handball. Gladbach's sports director Roland Virkus praised Stieler for his transparent explanations, while Dortmund's coach Nuri Sahin went upgraded into the cabin after criticizing the referee violently. The angry minds and the controversial decisions made sure that the game caused discussions not only on the pitch, but also when looking at it.

The tie means that BVB continues to wait for the first away win in the Bundesliga. Schlotterbeck said that Dortmund was not sufficient to go from Gladbach with a draw, especially with the upcoming difficult games against Barcelona and Hoffenheim. Those responsible agree: In order to be successful in the second half of the season, the team has to deliver more than just a 1: 1.

As the Aachener Zeitung reported. important decisions of the referee in focus. The reporting about the referee decisions shows.