Refereeing expert Meier sees „clear disadvantage“ for Bayern against PSG | OneFootball

The discussions about referee Joao Pinheiro continue after FC Bayern’s Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain. Now Urs Meier, one of Europe’s most renowned refereeing experts, has spoken out – and is clearly critical of the entire refereeing team. The fourth official in particular is in the spotlight

The 1:1 draw in the semi-final second leg against PSG was not only a source of frustration for FC Bayern in sporting terms, as numerous decisions by referee Joao Pinheiro sparked heated discussions during and after the match

After former referee Manuel Gräfe had already sharply criticized the Portuguese referee, Urs Meier now also commented in detail on the referee’s performance on ran. „I wouldn’t say he was out of his depth, but in terms of match management and communication, it wasn’t convincing throughout,“ explained the former FIFA referee

In the Swiss referee’s view, the problems began early on in the game, with Pinheiro opting for a line that he was subsequently unable to follow consistently

„He let a lot of minor fouls go, which put himself under pressure,“ Meier analyzed. „In the end, he had to make too many compromises because the line wasn’t clear enough.“

Especially at this level, such details are crucial. „I had the impression that he still lacked a bit of routine in some moments,“ added the 66-year-old

Sharp criticism of the fourth official

photo: Getty Images

One scene in particular caused a lack of understanding for Meier: the situation involving Konrad Laimer and Nuno Mendes in the 29th minute

The PSG defender, who had already been cautioned, had clearly played the ball with his arm to stop a Bayern counter-attack, but Pinheiro ruled that Laimer had handled the ball instead of giving Mendes a yellow card

However, the TV images clearly indicated that the Austrian had not played the ball with his hand at all. For Meier, the fourth official Espen Eskas bears the main responsibility for this. „The referee himself could not see it clearly the way he was positioned,“ explained the Swiss

That’s why Pinheiro had to rely on the support of his team – especially Eskas. „And that’s not just anyone: Espen Eskas is an experienced FIFA referee who is at the World Cup,“ Meier emphasized

This is precisely why the former world-class referee was irritated by his intervention: „I have the impression that he was not one hundred percent sure of himself and still made such a decision.“

Meier was particularly clear with his choice of words afterwards: „That’s amazing. That shouldn’t happen at this level – it’s a big deal.“

„Clear disadvantage for Bayern“

For Meier, it is clear that this scene had a decisive influence on the game. „That would have been a clear yellow card for Mendes. Then the game would have taken a different course,“ explained the Swiss

As a result, FC Bayern could rightly be annoyed from his point of view: „Because decisions like that are decisive for the game. In this case, it was a clear disadvantage for Bayern.“

There was further anger a little later when another handball was committed in the PSG penalty area. Vitinha had kicked the ball at team-mate Joao Neves‘ arm, but the penalty whistle was not blown here either

While this decision should have been correct according to the rules, the discussion about the overall performance of the refereeing team is likely to keep FC Bayern busy for some time to come.