Soccer coach Bo Svensson called referee Matthias Jöllenbeck and apologized for his insults after FSV Mainz 05’s Bundesliga defeat by FC Schalke 04. This is reported by the “Frankfurter Rundschau”.
The 36-year-old referee reported to the newspaper about a personal phone call in which the Mainz coach “credibly and sincerely asked for an apology”.
“He regrets his behavior, especially for attacking me personally,” said the referee.
“The choice of words was too violent and exaggerated”
According to the TV pictures, Jöllenbeck awarded a penalty for Schalke in injury time, which led to the 3-2 victory for the guests. Svensson described the penalty decision shortly after the final whistle in the first emotion as “cheeky” and “scandal”. The Dane later apologized for it. “The choice of words was too strong and exaggerated, I regret that,” he said.
At the weekend, the call to the referee followed. “Even though I was deeply disappointed with some of the statements made on Friday evening, I was pleased that he did it as a Bundesliga coach. That shows greatness and decency. Of course I accepted the apology and that’s the end of it for me. At the next meeting Let’s start from scratch again,” said Jöllenbeck of the “Frankfurter Rundschau”.