UEFA Champions League 2023-24 semifinal: ‘Absolute disaster’- Bayern boss Tuchel slams late offside call

Matthijs de Ligt had stabbed in what he thought was a stoppage-time equaliser but the linesman had already flagged for offside, and the referee blew his whistle, with Real seeing out the match to secure a 4-3 aggregate win.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel remonstrates with the assistant referee. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Bayern Munich was left fuming following a late offside decision against it in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinal, second leg.

Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt had stabbed in what he thought was a stoppage-time equaliser that would have taken the game into extra time.

Yet the linesman had already flagged for offside, and the referee blew his whistle before De Ligt let fly, with Real seeing out the match to secure a 4-3 aggregate win.

“I think it’s pretty clear, and there is no doubt that is against the rules of modern football,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said.

“A disaster. An absolute disaster. With Real’s second goal, they let the play continue. The clear rule is that the scene must continue. The first mistake was made by the linesman, the second by the referee,” he said.

Bayern took the lead with Alphonso Davies’ shot midway through the second half, but Real battled back with two late goals from Joselu to book their final spot.

De Ligt said the linesman had apologised to him after the game.

“Very difficult. Of course, as sportspeople we accept it,” said Tuchel. “But it is a semifinal, it’s not for two such violations of the rule. Everyone has to be at their limit. The referees have to be there as well.”

“That is what we expect. So the apology does not really help.”

Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer spilled the ball into Joselu’s path for the equaliser in the 88th minute, but Tuchel did not want to blame his keeper, who had been outstanding up to that point.

“Ninety-nine out of 100 times he makes it. It is just very, very bitter. No one will point a finger at him, and he is the most unhappy one,” said the coach.

Real progressed to their sixth Champions League final in 10 years and will bid for a record-extending 15th title against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1. 

Linesman apology

De Ligt said the linesman apologised to him for raising the flag for offside.

“The linesman said to me, ‘I’m sorry, I made a mistake,’” De Ligt said after the 2-1 loss in which Madrid’s stoppage-time winner by Joselu came after a VAR intervention that overturned an initial offside call. In that occasion, though, the other linesman allowed the play to continue.

“The rule says that if it’s not clear offside ... you have to keep playing.” De Ligt said. “And if you go in the last minute and you whistle like this, I think this is a big mistake. If it’s offside or not, I don’t know, VAR can check it, but if you don’t check it, how can you see it? This is a shame.

“The last play is clear, the referee blows the whistle and we stop,” he said. “This referee is very good, he refereed in a World Cup final. They complain about this and we complain about the goal by Nacho that was disallowed. Kimmich threw himself to the ground,” added de Ligt.

The match referee was Szymon Marciniak, who officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France in Qatar.