„Nobody can explain it to me“: Eberl makes serious accusations against Pinheiro | OneFootball

The disappointment at FC Bayern after the semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain was huge. In addition to the sporting failure, several controversial decisions by referee João Pinheiro caused great frustration among the Munich team. Chief Sports Officer Max Eberl in particular had strong words to say after the 1-1 draw in the second leg

The Portuguese referee had already repeatedly become the focus of attention during the match, with three scenes in particular causing massive anger at FC Bayern

Max Eberl reacted particularly emotionally to the situation involving PSG defender Nuno Mendes in the 29th minute. The Portuguese, who had already been cautioned, stopped a Bayern counter-attack with his arm, but was not shown the yellow card that Munich felt was due

Instead, João Pinheiro awarded PSG a free-kick because Konrad Laimer had allegedly handled the ball himself, although the TV footage could not clearly confirm this handball

Eberl was stunned by this after the game: „For me, you can give a yellow-red card when it’s suddenly given in the other direction. I think that was surprising for everyone,“ explained the Bayern sporting director

Eberl clearly criticizes referee

The 52-year-old was particularly clear afterwards with regard to the referee’s communication. „He spoke to his Portuguese teammates, who he always accompanied to the corner kick. He may have explained something there, but he didn’t explain it to me,“ said Eberl with palpable annoyance

The Bayern boss also ironically criticized the lack of opportunity to speak directly to the refereeing team after the game: „You’re not allowed in there now either, it’s a high-security area!“ said Eberl

„What’s the rule now?“



In addition to the scene involving Mendes , the handball situation in the PSG penalty area was also a source of incomprehension for the Munich team. After Vitinha hit his teammate João Neves on the outstretched arm in his own penalty area, FC Bayern vehemently demanded a penalty

However, referee Pinheiro allowed play to continue – apparently correct in terms of the rules, as the ball had previously come from his own teammate

For Eberl, however, the interpretation remained difficult to understand. „One half says a clear penalty, the other half says everything was done correctly. What’s the rule now? Nobody has been able to explain it to me yet!“ said the Bayern sporting director

From his personal point of view, the situation was clear: „When I look out of my glasses, it’s a handball in the penalty area,“ explained Eberl

Despite all the criticism, however, the Bayern boss did not want to completely deny PSG their place in the final. „In the end, PSG played an outstanding game,“ he conceded

Nevertheless, Eberl still had the feeling that the referee’s decisions had an influence on the outcome of the semi-final. „We may have made one or two wrong decisions – someone else on the pitch may also have made one or two wrong decisions,“ said the 52-year-old

For Eberl, it was precisely these little things that ultimately made the difference. „It’s the details that decide the outcome of a semi-final like this,“ explained the Bayern sporting director.