The curious case of the Eifel-Django: St. Paulis Schiri causes excitement!

The curious case of the Eifel-Django: St. Paulis Schiri causes excitement!

In the world of football there are games that fade in the memories of the fans, and then there is the memorable meeting between FC St. Pauli and FSV Mainz 05. On November 23, 2008, during the 14th matchday of the second division season, an apparently everyday game took an unexpected turn that should go into the history books. A referee with a special idea changed everything.

It was a typical, hard -fought match when FSV Mainz received a free kick in the penultimate minute of the first half of the first half. The St. Paulian Florian Bruns wanted to prevent the free kick and stood three meters in front of the ball. In response, the Mainz Miroslav Karhan deliberately shot the ball against Bruns. The consequence? Referee Thomas Metzen pulled out two yellow cards, one for each player, and that at the same time. This was the moment that made him a "Eifel-Django" and triggered a wave of discussions.

A referee causes excitement

But the excitement about this unusual referee campaign was not behavior. "The referee harmed himself and all other referees," said Hellmut Krug, then referee expert of the DFL. The incident caused considerable controversy within the referee guild, which is known to defend their guild. "The referee is not responsible for the show," Krug continued and criticized the arrogance that is often attributed to such decisions.

Eugen Strigel, the chairman of the referees, was also anything but pleased about Metzens. He immediately called the 27-year-old. "I've never experienced anything like this before," said Strigel. In football it is simply unusual to pronounce two warnings in such a short period of time. Many not only left the scene speechless, but also caused serious considerations about the role of the referees on the pitch.

follow and reactions

Thomas Metzen, who was at the public at that moment, tried to justify himself. "It was only a spontaneous reaction at that moment," he said later. He was not clear about the enormous consequences that his actions would bring. In a moment of reflection, he realized that he had violated the referee label and promised to refrain such behavior in the future.

Nevertheless, the incident was not without consequences. Metzen was pulled out of circulation for the next game days to choke off the controversy. In addition, all referees received a letter that reminded them of the appropriate behavior on the field. This measure should ensure that such an incident did not occur and the authority of the referees is preserved.

Although Metzen still whistled in the 2nd Bundesliga until 2012, he never noticed so negatively again. After his referee career, which he ended without further escapades, he remains at least one thing: the assignment of the charming pointed nickname "Eifel-Django", which only a few referees have ever received.