Hamburger SV upset about yellow-red card in Cologne

After the Bundesliga game against Cologne

Referee frustration at HSV: “I have to be careful what I say”

After a weak first half, HSV fought back against Cologne, but then saw yellow-red twice. The second expulsion particularly angered the “Rothosen”.

The duel between the Bundesliga newcomers was heated, emotional – and clear in the end. 1. FC Köln won the duel against Hamburger SV 4-1, although things looked much closer for a long time. But two yellow-red cards against the guests when the score was 2-1 within a few minutes changed the dynamics of the game. Immanuel Pherai only saw a yellow-red card shortly after being substituted on after slipping and rushing into an opponent (79′).

Then Fábio Vieira got caught after he asked the referee about goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe’s supposed time in Cologne. The referee Daniel Schlager rated this as worthy of a yellow card, which angered several players and coaches at HSV. Captain Yussuf Poulsen said after the game on DAZN: “We have the rule that we shouldn’t talk to the referee anymore in order to protect him. But if the referee then abuses the rule… Fábio asks him why the Swabian can take time off the clock. And for that he gives yellow-red. I have to be careful what I say because I’m emotional.”

Poulsen was of the opinion that referee Schlager had decided too quickly on making unauthorized contact: “That shouldn’t happen, you can also talk to the referees. You can also mention that the Cologne team is taking time off the clock. That annoys me a bit.”

Coach Merlin Polzin didn’t agree with this either. “That wouldn’t have been necessary,” he said. “I can’t understand the yellow-red card.” For him, it was “not useful for the Bundesliga football product” that such a decision was made.

But the referee himself also wanted to comment on the decision and explained that the Portuguese’s general behavior was the problem: “I told him that I didn’t tolerate the way of communication. I also spoke to the captain and at half-time also to the HSV coach, pointing out the behavior to him. But it didn’t stop after half-time. At some point I also reached a limit. He then asked for time from Schwäbe. That was too much for me, so I showed him yellow-red.”

In any case, both players, Immanuel Pherai and Fábio Vieira, will now be missing from Hamburger SV in the upcoming game against Borussia Dortmund. Vieira in particular is a painful loss for the promoted team.