A wrong decision seals GC's 2-0 defeat against FC Luzern. After the game, players and coach are furious.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- After GC's 2-0 defeat against Luzern, a penalty decision that led to the final score is a talking point.
- The VAR assured the referee that GC player Dirk Abels touched the ball with his hand. The player himself says: "I don't even have to look at the scene a second time." The ball hit him on the lower part of his upper body.
- Marco Schällibaum describes the wrong decision as "bitter". The conduct of the referees in this situation was "absolutely unprofessional".
The Grasshoppers are staggering around in the basement of the table, and the game against FC Lucerne did not see them climb out of there either. With the score at 0:1, the Hoppers conceded a penalty, which the Central Swiss team converted and took the wind out of the sails of the Zurich team.
A bitter pill to swallow for GC: the penalty should never have been given. The referee is not shown all the images on the screen at the time of the decision and VAR Luca Cibelli assures him that the ball hits the hand of GC player Dirk Abels.
But the ball was never on his hand. "I don't even have to watch the scene a second time," says Abels after the final whistle on blue Sport. The ball hit him on the lower part of his upper body. Abels in disbelief: "It's a corner kick and then the referee goes to the screen for a possible penalty ..."
The 27-year-old defender lashes out at the Swiss referees: "I'm used to the Dutch league. There's a big difference between the referees there and here." However, he does not want to go into further detail and leave it at this statement.
Abels has played over 200 competitive matches at professional level, but he has never experienced one like this. "For me, it's the biggest joke of my career."
Schällibaum shows a lack of understanding
In contrast to Abels, Marco Schällibaum has to watch the penalty scene on screen after the game. For him, there are no two opinions: "An absolutely wrong decision. I don't understand why a decision like that can't be reversed. Bitter for us."
The fact that blue Sport draws the GC coach's attention to is also bitter: the referee never saw the pictures showing that the ball did not touch his hand. Schällibaum: "Then I ask myself where the professional behavior is. If there is, then you have to look at all the pictures. The referees do their job, but then do it to the end. That was absolutely unprofessional."
Is Schällibaum's coaching chair shaky?
However, the VAR trouble does not change the fact that GC is in second-last place in the league. This also opens up room for speculation. Is Schällibaum still the right man on the touchline of the record champions? "I'm giving my all and fighting for GC. We are in a phase that is very bitter (...) I think I am the right man for GC."
As things stand, Schällibaum will get his next chance next Sunday to show that he and GC belong together. The beleaguered Hoppers will face FC St.Gallen, who are also looking to get back on track after six games without a win in a row.
