But on the fifth anniversary of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Bundesliga, the Eintracht Frankfurt coach was probably cursing, at least inwardly, at the decision that ultimately screwed up the victory for him and his Europa League winners against 1. FC Köln. “And every weekend I stand there and have to discuss refereeing decisions, which is not really my job. It’s about the soccer!” raged Frankfurt’s national goalkeeper Kevin Trapp without any restraint after the 1:1 (0:0).

Cologne’s late equalizing goal in front of 50,800 spectators by Jan Thielmann (82nd minute) had been recognized by referee Martin Petersen and the video assistants only after an almost five-minute analysis. The tricky question was whether striker Florian Dietz was offside – and had also blocked Trapp’s view. Petersen, after looking at the TV screen on the sidelines, decided that the goal was legal – and had to listen to shrill whistles from Frankfurt fans after the final whistle.

Trapp: “I really don’t understand it anymore”.

“We say, of course, this must be annulled. The striker is in Kevin’s line – then it’s offside,” Glasner said, striving to take a positive overall view of things in light of what is now a – Season -high 11 winless games in the league: “With an offside goal, a 1-1 – that was a step forward in many areas.”

Trapp, however, was not so quick to regain his composure, ranting on the DAZN microphone, “Last week we get a penalty taken back, yesterday in Berlin a very clear penalty is not given, and here the goal is not taken back. I really don’t understand it anymore!”

Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart conceded “that it was already an offside position” after looking at the scene calmly. “If the goal had not counted, then we could not have complained.” Even goal scorer Thielmann gave an evasive answer to the question of whether Dietz had been offside and had obstructed Trapp’s view: “As a Cologne player, of course I have to say no…”.

Ex-referee Heynemann also criticizes VAR

Former Bundesliga referee Bernd Heynemann has also sharply criticized the video referee (VAR). “Five years of VAR in the Bundesliga. An anniversary on which I do not congratulate. Instead of party mood prevails with me the frustration,” wrote the 68-year-old in a column for the “Kicker” (Monday). “I coined the terms darkroom for the Cologne basement and penalty area police,” Heynemann continued to write: “Now the contact police are added.”

The former FIFA referee was disturbed by a penalty decision in FC Augsburg’s match against Mainz 05 (1:2) and a disallowed goal in Leverkusen’s match against Hoffenheim (0:3).

Heynemann stressed that he was not targeting the referees, but rather the guidelines for the VAR: “If we look at the entire genesis of an attack to see if there might have been something there, we might as well sit down at the Playstation and play soccer there.”