"It's definitely not a foul." Why did Henri shout "OK" even if Kim Minjae was pushed back... Hot controversy over misjudgment
"It's definitely not a foul." Why did Henri shout "OK" even if Kim Minjae was pushed back... Hot controversy over misjudgment
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Bad referee or not. Controversy erupted over a scene in which Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) was pushed over and fell.
Bayern lost to Barcelona 1-4 in the third round of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase of the 2024-2025 season at the Estadi Olympics in Barcelona, Spain on the 24th (Korea time).
Bayern Munich, which failed to win points, remained in the 23rd place by staying in the 3rd place (one win and two losses). On the other hand, Barcelona, which had a cool victory at home, ranked 10th with 6 points (two wins and one loss).
Early stages of the match were tight. In the first minute of the match, FC Barcelona took the lead with Hafinha's first goal, but Bayern balanced it with Harry Kane's equalizer in the 18th minute of the first half. It was the goal that Kim Min-jae and Michael Olise made with two opposite conversion passes.
However, it was Barcelona's one-sided scoring streak since then. Robert Lewandowski scored again in the 36th minute of the first half. On top of that, Hafinha scored consecutive goals in the 45th minute of the first half and the 11th minute of the second half to achieve a hat trick. The match ended with Barcelona's complete victory.
However, controversy arose in the scene of Barcelona's second goal. Just before scoring, Fermin López might have committed a foul on Kim Min-jae during an aerial ball competition. At the time, López slightly pushed the jumped Kim Min-jae's back from behind, and the ball hit his head and flowed backward. And this led to the goal.
Several Bayern players and Coach Bang Sang Kompany protested, but the referee admitted the score. Video assistant judges also did not raise any particular issues. However, many argue that the foul should have been declared as López pushed his left hand instead of competing with Kim Min-jae.
"There was a clear violation by Lopez against Kim Min-jae," said Mark Bosnick, who played as goalkeeper for Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa. "The entire team should have protested. It was a very big moment. You can go into weightlessness in the air. You just need to push a little. It was not even a small push. How can VAR judges see that López gained huge advantage by pushing his back after watching the replay? It's something they can't understand forever."
Former coach Felix Magat felt the same way. "It was a clear foul to me. López never had a chance. You can't do anything when you're in the air and you're pushed behind. You can defend yourself by standing on the ground with your two feet. But once you jump, you can't do that," he said.
German soccer legend Michael Ballack also believed that he should have committed a foul. He said, "The interpretation is free, but in my view, it's more like a foul. López's intention was clear. He didn't chase the ball, but tried to interfere with Kim Min-jae to stop him from catching the ball. The referee had to see this at a normal speed. Of course, Kim Min-jae was a little naive." It is interpreted as meaning that Kim Min-jae should have claimed the foul by falling down with a bigger action.
Bayern vice-captain Yozua Kim Mi-hi also embraced Kim Min-jae. "It was a very unfortunate loss. You can see López's arm is there. The problem is that you can't hold the ball well even if you push it a little. It's more like a foul play to me," he said. "Everyone who plays soccer knows that if you pull your body slightly from the back, it will have an impact. Then Kim Min-jae can't clear the ball properly, and the game ends."
Max Eberle, Bayern's general manager, also expressed his discontent. He said, "Then it would be 2-1. I will not blame the referee. However, the fact that I ran backwards determined the winner of the competition. I'm annoyed." He also refuted the question of Kim Min-jae and Upamecano, saying, "Get a leadership license first. Then you will know more."
On the contrary, some say that this is a legitimate physical fight. "Even defenders push the ball with their elbows when it comes to the striker. In basketball, it's like a center is guarding the area. It's not a foul. No matter how you look at it again. Defenders do that to the striker, it's not a foul at all. Opposition is the same," said Thierry Henry, a former Barcelona player.
Jamie Carragher, who played as a defender for Liverpool, also agreed with Henry. "I defended like that throughout my career," he said, adding that it was too light for him to cheat.
Meanwhile, López jokingly responded to the foul controversy. "Well, I guess Kim is too big for me to push him over," he said in a post-match interview. "But I tried to take the spot, and I pushed him in the back. It helped send the ball to Lewandowski. In fact, it was a game where everything happened. We deserved to win." 토토사이트