Referee Siebert's decisions in the Wankdorf caused red heads among the Turks. This is what refereeing expert Urs Meier says.
Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk is furious with referee Daniel Siebert after the 2:3 against YB. Because the German decided to award the Bernese team a hand penalty in the 82nd minute after the VAR intervened. "If that's a penalty, then in my opinion we have to tie the players' arms."
Buruk goes one step further. The choice of referee is a thorn in his side: "We're playing in Switzerland and then a German comes in. It's like an extended canton," said Buruk after the game.
blue Sport confronts today's top referee and expert Urs Meier with the heated scene. "The hand rule always leads to big discussions. The Bernese can be happy that a German refereed the game," says Meier. Of course, he doesn't accuse Siebert of being biased like Buruk. Meier explains: "For German referees, the decisive criterion for a hand is the increase in body surface area. Elsewhere, the intention is given more weight."
Meier would not have awarded a penalty here. "There was zero intent. The ball bounces off the Turk's leg and onto his hand," explains Meier. But he would have decided differently in the scene with Elia. "That's clearly a penalty for me," says Meier, "the defender clearly just goes for the man. Siebert decides very quickly that there's no foul, but he's in a bad position in this situation."
After Meier's assessment of the two hot scenes, it can be said that Referee Siebert made two wrong decisions, but overall he was right. A penalty for YB fits. Even if Gala coach Buruk naturally sees it differently.
