Incident in the Champions League game
Pulled by the hair: FC Bayern discusses pigtail red
April 26, 2026 – 9:24 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
A sending-off for Franziska Kett heated up tempers at FC Bayern. Another accusation against the referee: She handed out cards like Smarties in the Champions League duel with Barcelona.
Franziska Kett was shown a red card in the Champions League semi-final against FC Barcelona – because of a plucked braid. Bayern’s sports director Bianca Rech believes this is worth discussing and calls for a fundamental debate in women’s football.
In the 79th minute, Kett pulled substitute Salma Paralluelo’s hair – probably unintentionally. The Croatian referee Ivana Martinčić then sent her off. The game ended 1:1.
Rech said after the game: “In my opinion, Franzi’s red card should be discussed in women’s football because you can see that players have hair down to their buttocks.” From her point of view, there is a difference between someone pulling a player’s hair on the top of her head and catching her at the bottom when someone reaches for the jersey.
ZDF expert Kathrin Lehmann saw it differently. She said on TV: “Pulling hair is like giving someone a slap.” That’s tough, but clear. Rech had seen yellow herself for protesting and then sharply criticized referee Martincic: “In my opinion, the referee lost control. I don’t know how many cards she handed out like Smarties in the end. That’s not correct in my opinion.” Coach José Barcala was also shown a red card due to violent protests.
Pernille Harder, who had prepared Munich’s equalizer in the 69th minute, defended Kett: “I didn’t see the situation, I just know that Franzi would never intentionally pull her hair.” The scene is reminiscent of the expulsion of DFB defender Kathrin Hendrich from the European Championship quarter-finals against France last summer in Switzerland – also for pulling hair.
The second leg will take place on May 3rd in Barcelona (4:30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online). At stake is a place in the final in Oslo on May 23rd.
