Nagelsmann Livid After Contentious VAR Decisions in Nations League Loss to France
Referee under fire due to VAR implementation - Nagelsmann voices criticism - Referee's application of VAR prompts heated disagreement from Nagelsmann.
Julian Nagelsmann vented his frustration in the aftermath of Germany's 0:2 loss to France in the third-place game of the Nations League, slamming referee Ivan Kruzliak's handling of two controversial VAR calls. "It's a bloody crap call, pure and simple," said the embattled coach after the match, surrounded by 51,313 disappointed fans.
During the game, striker Deniz Undav was erroneously denied a goal, while an initial penalty call on Karim Adeyemi was overturned following a VAR review. Nagelsmann slammed the inconsistent application of the video assistant referee (VAR) system, accusing it of skewing the game's outcome in France's favor.
Adeyemi's Disputed Penalty
Early in the match, Adeyemi appealed for a penalty after colliding with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Despite an initial award by referee Kruzliak, VAR officials intervened, leading to the decision being overturned. Nagelsmann defended Adeyemi, arguing that the young forward didn't dive, yet still received a yellow card for simulation. He asserted that the referee should have shown more sensitivity during the lengthy review process.
Controversial Goal Disallowance
In the subsequent moments, Undav netted what seemed to be an equalizer for Germany, but the goal was disallowed after Kruzliak consulted with the VAR monitor due to a foul by Niclas Füllkrug on Adrien Rabiot during the build-up. Nagelsmann admitted the call could have gone either way but fiercely criticized how VAR was utilized, insisting that the referee should not have reversed the decision since it wasn't a clear and obvious error.
Nagelsmann's Sympathy for the Referee
Despite his anger, Nagelsmann expressed understanding for the predicament referees face and felt sorry for Kruzliak in such situations. Despite a solid performance from Germany's goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, France's Kylian Mbappé and Bayern Munich's Michael Olise scored the decisive goals in the second half.
Wednesday's loss marked Germany's first time qualifying for the final-four tournament's semi-finals in the fourth edition, while France retained their 2020/21 title but were subsequently eliminated by Spain in a thrilling 4:5 semi-final.
- Julian Nagelsmann
- France
- Germany coach
- Nations League
- Germany
- Karim Adeyemi
- Deniz Undav
- VAR
- referee
- controversy
- football
- The Commission might question the lack of consistency in the application of the VAR system, given Julian Nagelsmann's disapproval of its impact on the outcome of the Nations League match between France and Germany, particularly in light of Adeyemi's disputed penalty and the controversial disallowance of Deniz Undav's potential equalizing goal.
- While sports like football continue to evolve with technological advancements such as the VAR system, incidents like the ones experienced by coach Julian Nagelsman during Germany's loss to France highlight the need for improved understanding and sensitivity in its application, ensuring fairness and adherence to the principle of subsidiarity.
