Debut for female referee: penalty questions and Ulreich yellow
Referee Stephanie Frappart's caution for him as a substitute still bothered Sven Ulreich long after the final whistle. "She can give me a yellow card. But I'm not going to make a fool of myself and run in front of her," said the 35-year-old after FC Bayern Munich's 0-0 draw against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. "Of course I grumbled," Ulreich admitted - in Swabian, as the keeper jokingly remarked.
The fourth official then "called his boss" in the scene. Visibly upset, Ulreich sat on the bench after the warning and grumbled to himself. The 35-year-old had been infuriated by the lack of a corner kick whistle for his team in the second half.
In her first time in charge of a Bayern men's match, 39-year-old Frenchwoman Frappart came into the spotlight not only for the yellow card for Ulreich, but especially in the closing stages of the goalless premier class match. "It's better not to say anything to referees than to coaches. In case of doubt, that can only be expensive," said coach Thomas Tuchel cautiously after the group game.
At 0-0 in stoppage time, referee Frappart reversed a handball decision for Bayern after studying the video, which displeased the Munich players. "I wouldn't have given the handball penalty either, but I think the rules allow it," said attacker Thomas Müller.
Frappart was no stranger to the German internationals Manuel Neuer, Müller and Serge Gnabry. She was also on the pitch during the DFB team's bitter preliminary round exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against Costa Rica (4:2) a year ago. It was a historic assignment: the Frenchwoman was the first female referee to officiate a match at a men's World Cup. It seems that Müller and Co. are not happy with her.
It was Frappart's third appearance in the Champions League since her debut in 2020 and her first in the current season. In Real Madrid's 5-1 win over Celtic Glasgow last season, the Frenchwoman caught the eye with three penalties in the first half of the game. However, she is not completely new to FC Bayern either: in the past, she has officiated two European Cup matches for the Bayern women's soccer team.
In the Champions League, FC Bayern Munich faced FC Copenhagen, and during this game, referee Stephanie Frappart issued a yellow card to substitute Sven Ulreich. Despite the caution, Ulreich expressed his frustration over a perceived lack of called corner kicks for his team.
In their previous encounter, Frappart was the referee when FC Bayern's women's team competed in a European Cup match.
Source: www.dpa.com
