Winterthur's Tobias Schättin is sent off before the break after VAR intervention. The (wrong) decision by referee Johannes von Mandach is no coincidence for FCW coach Uli Forte. He even suspects a payback for his recent scolding of the referee.
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- An unjustified red card against Tobias Schättin caused emotions to run high in the Winterthur camp.
- Coach Uli Forte, who was also shown a red card in stoppage time, used harsh words in an interview with blue Sport.
- For him, the sending off by referee Johannes von Mandach was a "payback" after he had recently publicly criticized the referees.
Winterthur put in a lively performance in Lucerne. The relegated bottom team dominated the game away from home against the Central Swiss side. Consequently, Christian Gomis puts the visitors in front. But their luck did not last long.
In the 36th minute, left-back Tobias Schättin put the ball on his right foot in the Lucerne penalty area, but two FCL players straddled him. Schättin hits Bung Meng Freimann on the leg after his finish. Freimann remains lying down and needs treatment. The 19-year-old defender then has to leave the pitch injured.
The scene is reviewed by the VAR. And referee von Mandach shows Schättin a straight red card after a video consultation. Schättin had no chance of avoiding Freimann's knee.
Memories of the Görtler case
The controversial decision by the referee reminds presenter Gianni Wyler of St. Gallen's Lukas Görtler, who was also sent off for a similar action. "That's exactly what went through my mind. It's exactly the Görtler scene that the whole of Switzerland has been discussing," agreed refereeing expert Adrien Jacottet.
"The player plays the ball cleanly, all his concentration is on the ball. Afterwards, there is an unfortunate contact," says Jacottet. If you only look at the contact, it is of course blatant and a very dangerous action. The player also had to be substituted due to injury, explains the 41-year-old.
Jacottet states: "But if we look at the element prescribed by the regulations, there is no intention behind it, it is an unfortunate contact. That's exactly how it was instructed after the Görtler case. If a referee sees that on the pitch and gives a red, you can decide that way. For me, however, it's not enough for an intervention. It's not the right decision because it's an accident and not a deliberate and malicious foul."
Forte: "You're not allowed to say certain things"
The questionable decision infuriated Winterthur coach Uli Forte, who was also shown a red card for complaining in the final phase. The 50-year-old recently complained and criticized: "If the league wants us to be out of the Super League, then they simply have to say so!"
Forte now blames his statements from the last game against FCZ for the decision: "I have to take the defeat on my head. I addressed the facts last week. That probably didn't go down well with a few people. The VAR was obviously the same as in Yverdon." Forte continued: "I have to apologize to my team, they put in an incredible performance. Because I told them the facts last week, a few people were annoyed and there was now a retaliation," he denounced. "I have to question myself - you're not allowed to say certain things," Forte states with a view to the Swiss Football League.
