‘Absolute disaster’- Says Thomas Tuchel Slams Late Offside Call

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel strongly criticized a late offside decision, labeling it an “absolute disaster” as Real Madrid knocked his team out of the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.

With Real Madrid leading 2-1 after staging a comeback with two late goals, Joshua Kimmich delivered a long pass that Thomas Mueller headed centrally for defender Matthijs de Ligt to score in the 12th minute of added time.

Real Madrid, who drew the match in Munich 2-2, advanced with a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

The goal was disallowed as the linesman raised his flag before the ball crossed the goal line, leading to the exclusion of a VAR review. An agitated Tuchel sprinted down the sideline in reaction to the decision. Following the game, he expressed to broadcaster DAZN that the ruling was “a disaster, an absolute disaster”.

“We have to let the action play out until the end. That’s the rule, especially since it’s so close to the goal, and it’s so limited,” Tuchel said. “The first error is made by the linesman, the second comes from the referee. He could have waited.”

The goalscorer agreed with his coach, calling the decision decisive in the match.

“The scene at the end, I find it incredible. I can’t understand why he (the referee) doesn’t let the action play out,” De Ligt told DAZN.

“He apologized. I wouldn’t want to say that Real is always lucky, but that decision makes the difference today.

A disappointed Bayern captain Manuel Neuer said: “We’re in the Champions League semi-finals… I think he knows it was a mistake and that you shouldn’t make a decision like that so quickly.”