Augsburg criticizes: "Harry Kane could have netted the goal"
Following a chaotic Bundesliga match against Mainz 05, with two red cards and five goals, FC Augsburg's discontent was primarily aimed at the referee and video assistant. Two incidents in particular angered the home team after their 2:3 (1:2) defeat in the opening fixture of the 4th Bundesliga matchday.
The penalty decision that was overturned after a lengthy video review in additional time due to a perceived foul on defender Keven Schlotterbeck, sparked controversy among the FCA. Their sporting director, Marinko Jurendic, roi YouTube, compared it to Harry Kane's penalty awarded to Bayern Munich a week earlier against Holstein Kiel following VAR intervention.
"Is the VAR blind in Cologne's basement?"
From Augsburg's perspective, it was "not an obvious error" on the part of referee Sören Storks. According to Jurendic, video assistant Pascal Müller should not have intervened in this instance. "The VAR weakens the authority of the referees," Jurendic argued.
The second major point of contention was Samuel Essende's red card for the winning goal in the 70th minute. Essende's retaliatory action against Dominik Kohr's forearm strike to his head was the initial provocation. "Is the VAR blind in Cologne's basement?" queried Jurendic.
If Kohr had also been shown a red card, Augsburg would have played the final 20 minutes with a man advantage after Mainz's Nadiem Amiri was given a yellow-red card before half-time. "He should have given Nadiem Amiri a red card a hundred percent," said FCA coach Jess Thorup.
Thorup's stern criticism of Essende
Not only the referee, but also red card recipient Essende, faced criticism from Thorup. He addressed the team in the locker room and later in the press conference. "It should not happen that one puts oneself above the team," said Thorup. Jurendic described it as a "red line" that had greatly impacted the team. Whether the club would impose further punishment on Essende beyond the suspension was left unanswered by Thorup.
Meanwhile, Mainz coach Bo Henriksen was less than satisfied after the game, but still found positives. "We played a horrible game," said Henriksen, joining in the collective Mainz self-criticism. "We didn't play well," eventually conceded goalkeeper Robin Zentner. Double goalscorer Jonathan Burkhardt stressed that the team had "essentially asked for it to get one more." Augsburg had ultimately taken 25 more shots than Mainz.
The team's ability to withstand a long period of numerical disadvantage after Nadiem Amiri's yellow-red card (35th minute) also gave Henriksen some encouragement. In the end, his team had "given everything," praised the coach: "The guys are incredible, a fantastic night."
The controversial decision to overturn a potential penalty for FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga match against Mainz 05, which could have shifted the outcome of the 'Football league' game, sparked widespread dissatisfaction within the club. The discontent was further fueled by Samuel Essende's red card for retaliating against Dominik Kohr, a moment that FCA coach Jess Thorup deemed as crossing a "red line".
