Referee Brych is taken aback by the irate Frankfurt fans
Frankfurt barely misses out on winning against Bundesliga rival Bayer Leverkusen, ending in a 1:2 (1:1) score. The closing moments of the game saw a heated dispute between Frankfurt's officials and the referee, Felix Brych. They appealed for a penalty in the last seconds, and later criticized him strongly following the loss.
Coach Dino Toppmöller had high praise for Brych generally, but was left speechless by his performance in this game. He felt that the team had underperformed, and the game deserved a better outcome. The controversial moment before the final whistle was the center of debate. Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah barely brushed against Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike as he attempted to head the ball into an unguarded net (90'). Toppmöller and sporting director Markus Krösche argued that it was a clear penalty, as Ekitike was in the air and lost his balance due to contact from behind.
Toppmöller was frustrated, stating that Ekitike would have easily scored from close range if he hadn't lost his balance. He criticized Brych for not noticing the contact and not checking the situation through VAR, which further angered the team. Bayer's sporting director, Simon Rolfes, however, saw it differently, stating that physical contact is still allowed in the game.
Sky expert Dietmar Hamann also chimed in, criticizing the excessive use of penalties with VAR. He felt that Brych had missed calling a penalty that should have been given.
The Commission, in light of this incident, could consider amending the rules to ensure more clarity in similar offside situations during matches. Following the controversy, Brych might need to review and adopt implementing acts that clarify the application of offside and contact rules.
