Exciting scene

Attack against professional: “That’s the lowest drawer”

TV pundit Stefan Effenberg (left) takes on Wolfsburg professional Maximilian Arnold.

(Bild: APA/AFP/INA FASSBENDER. APA/Ronny Hartmann)

A scene in Saturday's Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart caused a stir. TV pundit and Bayern legend Stephan Effenberg sees Wolfsburg's Maximilian Arnold as the main culprit on Sport1's "Doppelpass". "That's the lowest drawer!"

What happened? In the 63rd minute, the two team captains Maximilian Arnold and Atakan Karazor clashed in a duel. After contact, Arnold went to the ground and received treatment. Stuttgart's Karazor was shown a second yellow card by referee Sven Jablonski and had to leave the pitch. However, replays showed that Arnold had stepped on Karazor's foot and not the other way around. However, as the VAR is not allowed to intervene with yellow cards even if they result in a yellow-red card, Karazor was sent off.

A wrong decision, which referee Jablonski also admitted after the final whistle. "I've now seen the pictures and have to admit that Arnold hit his opponent. So the yellow-red was wrong, that really annoys me," he said. On Sunday morning, the day after the game, he even appeared on Sport1's "Doppelpass": "It was important to me that when you make a mistake, you own up to it and don't hide."

Referee Sven Jablonski

(Bild: APA/AFP/Ronny HARTMANN)

"That's the bottom drawer"
Stephan Effenberg, who was also on the show, had strong words and lashed out at Wolfsburg's Arnold. After the duel, he had dropped to the ground, even though he had actually hit his opponent. "That's very weak from Maxi Arnold," said Effenberg and defended the referee: "Unfortunately, that's what makes things so difficult for the referees, because they're deceiving him." The referee then has to decide in a matter of seconds. Jablonski admitted the mistake. "But the game that some players then play in the duels is bottom drawer," said Effenberg.

Calmund scolds: "Whoever came up with the idea ..."
Many, including former Leverkusen manager Reiner Calmund, could not understand why the VAR was not allowed to intervene in a yellow-red foul. "That's stupid. The camera image is allowed for a red and not for a yellow-red. Whoever came up with this idea should be investigated and kicked out of the association. That's completely illogical," Calmund grumbled.

Stuttgart have since lodged an appeal against the decision and the associated suspension of Karazor for the next Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim.

In the end, Stuttgart drew 2:2 against Wolfsburg. The Swabians are eighth in the table after five matchdays. The home game in the Conference League against Sparta Prague follows on Tuesday (18:45).