With a 4-1 win on Sunday, 1. FC Cologne sent Hamburger SV back to northern Germany and created a carnival atmosphere in the cathedral city a little early. As clear as the success reads, it cannot be denied that its achievement raises one or two questions. There was great dissatisfaction with referee Daniel Schlager after the game, especially at HSV.
As soon as Florian Kainz from 1. FC Köln curled a free kick into the net to make it 2-0, HSV responded: summer newcomer Fábio Vieira welded the ball in from the edge of the penalty area to make it 2-0 – but the celebration suddenly died down. After what felt like an eternity, the VAR conceded again after an offensive foul that preceded the goal.
The Hamburg team still held on and scored 1-2 through Jean-Luc Dompé in the 61st minute. An open exchange of blows developed before things became even more bitter for the North Germans.
Just moments after Immanuel Pherai was substituted, referee Daniel Schlager quite understandably gave the HSV professional a yellow card, less than 60 seconds later the second yellow card followed – and thus the expulsion. Although Pherai undoubtedly rushed violently into Cologne’s Kristoffer Lund, he visibly slipped beforehand and by no means made a controlled movement.
“If the referee takes advantage of the rules…”
But that wasn’t enough: A few minutes later, Schlager also gave Vieira, who had already been warned, a yellow-red card because he demanded a reaction to an alleged time play by FC keeper Marvin Schwäbe.
In the mega stoppage time of 13 minutes, the Cologne team finally put the lid on it and completed what was, on paper, a clear victory.
“We get two unfortunate dismissals. You have to be careful with the second one in particular. We have the rule that you can’t talk to the referee in order to protect him. But if the referee takes advantage of the rules…”, HSV captain Yussuf Poulsen raged on the “DAZN” microphone after the final whistle and added meaningfully: “I have to be careful what I say because I’m very emotional.”
Poulsen’s coach Merlin Polzin assessed the situation on the PK similarly after the game. Schlager “intervened massively in the final result of the game,” complained the HSV trainer. “That can’t be in the spirit of football,” Polzin continued. After all, no swear words were used and one has to understand that Vieira’s pulse was a bit high because his goal had been taken back shortly before. The situation could certainly be handled a little differently, accuses Polzin of a lack of tact.
Video: HSV coach complains about “massive” interventions
Referee describes his view of things
Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok admitted that he had the feeling that “God” was completely on his side this time.
And hits? He explained to “DAZN” that the second expulsion had a long history: “I have him [Vieira, d.Red.] said that I do not tolerate the way of communication. I also spoke to the captain and at half-time to the HSV coach and pointed out the behavior to him. But it didn’t stop after halftime. At some point I reached a limit. He then asked for time from Schwäbe. That was too much for me, so I showed him yellow and red.”