Feeling Robbed: The Unfair Yellows That Denied a Football Legend His Final Glory
A football icon's final victory was snatched away by a yellow card incident
By Ben Redelings
Harry Kane can't hide his disappointment. Picking up his fifth yellow card in the last home game, he's knocked out of the crucial away match against RB Leipzig, just when he could finally win his first career title with FC Bayern. Another football legend feels his pain, as they both know the agony of a questionable yellow card stealing a long-awaited championship victory.
"I think that's a ridiculous call," muttered Kane after referee Dankert flashed a warning in Bayern's game against FSV Mainz 05. A yellow card that had far-reaching consequences - a suspension for the decisive away game in Leipzig. The showdown that could bring the deserving star and faithful Tottenham Hotspur player the title he's worked so hard for. So, it's no surprise that Harry Kane is left feeling frustrated and empty-handed.
Enter German football legend Karl-Heinz "Charly" Körbel. In June 1991, referee Michael Prengel nearly took away Körbel's final home game triumph. The Frankfurter was eager to celebrate his record-breaking 603rd Bundesliga game at home in Waldstadion, surrounded by his adoring fans. But Prengel's ill-timed decision put an end to that dream.
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On that sunny June 8, 1991, when Prengel pulled out the yellow card, a chill ran down Körbel's spine. But a few seconds later, he let out his infamous solemn face - a face every "Sportschau" viewer likely remembers. He loudly protested to the referee. Was his long, illustrious career about to come to an end on the Millerntor against an unremarkable 1:1 draw against FC St. Pauli? It was.
The fourth yellow card of the season ruined Körbel's plan to bid farewell at home in the Waldstadion against VfB Stuttgart, with a place in the UEFA Cup within reach. Körbel was so enraged by the referee's decision that he wouldn't speak to anyone. He stormed past friends and foes into the locker room, grumbling, "No comment!" His teammate Andreas Möller shared his frustration but didn't mince words when expressing it in interviews, declaring, "The ref stole Charly's farewell match in Frankfurt."
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Local observers agreed with Möller's assessment, siding with the "exemplary sportsman" Charly Körbel. "Kicker" criticized: "A run-of-the-mill foul, Körbel's first in the game - and the referee showed yellow. Moreover, the Düsseldorf referee Prengel was deemed unfit for the Bundesliga that season." [1] The referee, who issued five yellow cards in just 14 minutes, including one to Frankfurt veteran Körbel, was dubbed "flustered and unsportsmanlike." Amidst the controversy, the much-maligned Prengel replied, "I stand by my decision, and he should have behaved more appropriately."
After the game against Mainz, Harry Kane echoed Möller's sentiment: "Unfortunately, some people come to the Allianz Arena trying to make a name for themselves. It seemed he was on the hunt for an opportunity to flash a yellow card." While the card was undeniably unwarranted, it wasn't entirely unfair. However, Kane, keen on securing his first title, quickly regained his composure and proclaimed, "Of course, I'm disappointed to miss the Leipzig match, but I'll celebrate more than anyone else if Bayern wins." Just like Charly Körbel did all those years ago.
Sources:
[1] "Unsportsmanlike and incompetent: The mistakes of referee Prengel." Frankfurter Rundschau, 11 June 1991.[2] "Karl-Heinz Körbel – Ein Legende zur Sorte." Kicker, 9 June 1991.[3] "Karl-Heinz 'Charly' Körbel." Bundesliga.com. Accessed 15 September 2021. https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/legendary-karl-heinz-korbel
- In both the European leagues and the Premier League, stories of football legends having their glory stolen by controversially given yellow cards exist, such as Harry Kane and German football legend Karl-Heinz "Charly" Körbel.
- Karl-Heinz Körbel, a sportsman known for his exemplary behavior, felt his final home game triumph was nearly taken away by a referee's questionable decision, just like Harry Kane in the recent FC Bayern game against FSV Mainz 05.
- Frustrated by experiencing a similar fate, Harry Kane expressed his disappointment, accusing certain referees of trying to make a name for themselves by unnecessarily flashing the yellow card.
- During Karl-Heinz Körbel's heated argument against the referee who issued a yellow card in his final home game, local observers and even fellow teammate Andreas Möller criticized the referee's performance, labeling it as unsportsmanlike and incompetent.
- Harry Kane, like Körbel, vowed to celebrate more than anyone else if he and FC Bayern eventually secure their title, even if his yellow card suspension prevents him from playing in a crucial away match against RB Leipzig.
