"Austria Celebrates Following Elfer Verdict"
Title: Controversial Penalty Decision in Vienna Derby Riles Up Austria Fans
Vienna Derby. Yet another heart-breaking loss: Austria's Bundesliga slide continued following a 0:2 defeat to Rapid and a 1:3 home loss to Red Bull Salzburg. Four consecutive winless games have pushed them back to third place, with fans growing increasingly frustrated. Many considered the controversial penalty that sealed Salzburg's victory as the deciding factor.
- Bitter Disputes over Questionable Penalty Call
- Sturm's Triumph Against Blau-Weiß Linz
The second half at the Generali Arena was filled with tension. Two close offside goals were correctly disallowed shortly after halftime. In the 63rd minute, Dorgeles Nene fell in the penalty area after a slight contact with Nik Prelec. Early TV footage didn't appear to show any foul play, but a touch became noticeable later. "Crazy that something like this is a penalty. Ridiculous. That's only whistled in Austria," Austria's striker Maurice Malone grumbled.
Ciochirca: "Undeniable Penalty"
Midfielder Manfred Fischer also disagreed with the penalty decision, labeling it "not one in my view." To the surprise of many, referee Christian-Petru Ciochirca did not review the situation on TV. Despite this, he asserted that it was an "obvious penalty" caused by Prelec's contact on Nene's leg. He maintained that VAR would have intervened had he not awarded the penalty. "Anything other than a penalty would be wrong," Ciochirca emphasized.
Salzburg coach Thomas Letsch backed the referee's decision, stating, "The player comes into the penalty area at high speed, then there's a slight contact that's enough to knock him off balance. So for me, it's also a penalty, just like it should have been last week."
Austria coach Stephan Helm opted to withhold criticism, characterizing the incident as "very unfortunate" and "frustrating." Despite taking solace in Austria's first goal in three consecutive goalless games, their finishing was once again disappointing. "You can see the players are fired up because they know there was more in it," Helm remarked.
Viennese Fury Escalates After Another Defeat
The recurring theme of failing to capitalize on opportunities has left Austria's promising playoff start far from secure. They now trail the leaders by six points and are one behind Salzburg, with just one point separating them from WAC, who are threatening to overtake them. "It's getting tight, but I'm not sitting at home with a calculator," Helm reassured.
As the pressure mounts, Austria faces two crucial matches against Sturm this week. Defeat in these encounters could jeopardize their title dreams. Goalkeeper Samuel Sahin-Radlinger is optimistic about the upcoming "big games." Midfielder Manfred Fischer finds solace in the fact that they have a chance to "turn things around" with three points. "It's not over yet," said Fischer.
- Fischer's Critique of the Controversial Penalty in European Football
- Sahin-Radlinger's Optimism for Upcoming Crucial Matches Against Sturm in European Leagues
In light of the controversial penalty decision that led to Salzburg's victory, Manfred Fischer, the Austria midfielder, expressed his disagreement with the call, labeling it "not one in my view." Looking ahead to their upcoming matches in European leagues against Sturm, Sahin-Radlinger, the goalkeeper, expressed optimism, stating, "It's not over yet."
