In Cologne, the stadium announcer rants over the loudspeaker because the video referee does not intervene. Record international Lothar Matthäus understands the anger - and has a clear demand.
10.03.2026, 16:00
dpa
Record international Lothar Matthäus has harshly criticized the video assistant referees after the next controversial incident in Cologne. "I also wonder what the people in the basement do sometimes. Do they sit in front of the monitors all the time and check every single scene? Every now and then you get the feeling they go for a coffee in between," Matthäus said in his Sky column.
Although video evidence has corrected many wrong decisions, there are "still too many mistakes", said the TV pundit. "You ask yourself: why do we have it at all?"
In scenes like the one in Cologne, "you have to take a closer look"
Matthäus also referred to the scene in the 2-1 draw between FC Cologne and Borussia Dortmund, which stadium announcer Michael Trippel commented on in stoppage time of the Bundesliga match on Saturday with the following words: "In the 95th minute, there was a clear handball by a Dortmund player in the penalty area and no one even looks at it!"
The Sky expert sees it similarly: "In a scene like the one in Cologne, you have to look even closer if you haven't recognized what everyone else who has seen the pictures has recognized. Maybe Benjamin Cortus in the cellar didn't look at the scene from all angles, I don't know."
Matthäus calls for more courage from video assistants
Matthäus added: "I have the feeling that it works better in other countries, in the Champions League or at the Club World Cup than it does here." His demand: "The international specialists also only have two eyes, but it takes courage to report something. You shouldn't be afraid if you're sitting in the cellar. In the end, it's not the cellar that decides, it's still the referee on the pitch."
