Should goalkeeper pretend to be injury?
© Imago
The DFB control committee has initiated an investigation against Arminia Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat. The 39-year-old is said to comment on the accusation that he had instructed his goalkeeper to pretend an injury in a third division game. He then used the resulting break for a tactic meeting.
As a spokesman for the German Football Association confirmed, Kniat was written to and asked for a timely statement. The head coach of the DFB Cup finalist had granted a “gray area” after his team’s 2-0 victory on Sunday with Viktoria Köln.
At 1-0 for Bielefeld, Arminia goalkeeper Jonas Kersken laid himself on the ground for no apparent occasion and asked for treatment. His players then gathered at Kniat. “The goalkeeper is doing an injury, which is unsportsmanlike,” said Viktoria coach Olaf Janßen later, who had received the red card because of his protest.
In contrast to an injury to a field player, a goalkeeper does not have to be treated outside the field. The game is interrupted in such a case. “You can title that as unsportsmanlike,” said Kniat in the press conference and referred unjust rules to others: “I have learned a word from the referees throughout the years when I am a coach: gray zone. (…) Then we can also use the gray areas for us.” Similarly, the trainer had commented on the game at 1st FC Saarbrücken in October.