"Do we need to see blood first?": Chelsea boss fumes after Tah blow | OneFootball

During Bayern's 3-1 victory over Chelsea, there was controversy surrounding a scene involving Jonathan Tah. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was furious.

In the Champions League win of FC Bayern against FC Chelsea (3-1), one scene caused quite a stir. In the 28th minute, Jonathan Tah got into a duel with Chelsea's Joao Pedro in midfield and hit him on the upper body with his arm.

Enzo Maresca, the Blues' coach, angrily criticized referee José María Sanchez's decision after the match. "Hitting another player, why is it not a red card? Do you have to see blood for a red card?" the Italian ranted after the final whistle. He had already complained loudly during the game, which earned him a yellow card. For Maresca, it was clear: the referee should have sent Tah off.

The TV footage showed how Tah, after having his shirt pulled by his opponent, swung his right arm and hit Pedro in the upper body area. Pedro went to the ground while Tah tried to re-engage in the game. Just a few seconds later, Cole Palmer scored the connecting goal for Chelsea. The center-back then received a yellow card—a decision that sparked much discussion. Whether the video assistant had reviewed the scene remained unclear.

Tah himself described the situation from his perspective after the game: "If I hit him in the face, I'd say yes. But like this: I could understand the yellow card, that was right." The 28-year-old emphasized that he had no intention of committing an offense.

Bayern coach Kompany: "I might be biased"

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund also defended him: "In a running duel, he turned around and hit him. I believe there was no intention behind it at all." Freund further explained that he had spoken with Tah: "He hit him on the chest. It looked worse because it happened so quickly in motion and both were sprinting. It happens, but it was not an offense."

Photo: IMAGO

TV expert Michael Ballack also assessed the scene leniently. "He pulls on the shirt and then there's a light hit against the chest," Ballack said on DAZN. "He was lucky, of course. It can happen. He needs to be careful." On the field, several Chelsea players immediately complained to the referee, who, however, stuck to his decision.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany saw the situation differently: "I wanted a foul in the other direction, I thought he was fouled... but I might be biased. I thought his shirt was pulled and he tried to free himself. He was turned and just tried to shake him off." The Belgian made it clear that, for him, no offense had occurred. Nevertheless, he substituted Tah at halftime as a precaution.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.