Referee Under Fire for VAR Decision - Nagelsmann Voices Discontent - Referee's Application of VAR Sparks Loud Protest from Nagelsmann
Take a seat, folks, because Julian Nagelsmann — Germany's coach — isn't holding back after their Nations League clash against France. After losing 0:2 in the third-place match, he's fired up about referee Ivan Kruzliak's handling of the game.
Nagelsmann's ire was raised by a contentious incident between Niclas Füllkrug and Adrien Rabiot. A goal by Deniz Undav was called off following a VAR review, a decision Nagelsmann found unsettling. "It's not what VAR's for. He's right there, has a clear view. It's not a clear error," he insisted.
VAR Controversy
Remember the incident involving Karim Adeyemi and Mike Maignan? Adeyemi seemed to be tripped up inside the penalty area. The ref, at first, awarded a penalty to Germany. But after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was reversed, with Adeyemi receiving a yellow card for simulation instead.
Nagelsmann vocally expressed his disapproval of this overturned call, calling it a "referee error" and a "misuse of VAR." He felt the decision was harsh on his team and that it significantly impacted the game's outcome.
Post-Match Reflections
Nagelsmann expressed empathy for the referee during halftime but surely doesn't see eye-to-eye with him about the calls made. Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise scored for France, while Marc-André ter Stegen's impressive performance in the first half kept Germany's loss to a minimum.
Recall that Germany lost their semi-final against Portugal (4-2) in Munich a few days back. This was the first time Germany qualified for the Final Four tournament, which is now in its fourth edition. France, who were the 2020/21 champions, faced a dramatic 4:5 semi-final loss against Spain.
- Julian Nagelsmann
- France
- Germany coach
- Nations League
- Germany
- Niclas Füllkrug
The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of the principle of subsidiarity, as more decisive actions are needed in the field of sports analysis, particularly in the European leagues, like football's Champions League. For instance, had the principle been proactively employed during Nagelsmann's tenure as Germany's coach in the Nations League, it could have potentially addressed the VAR controversy that arose in their recent match against France. Despite a disappointing 0:2 loss in the third-place match, Nagelsmann's post-match reflections would likely still hold weight in the ongoing discourse regarding the use and effectiveness of sports technology across various sports leagues.
