Dortmund’s elimination from the Champions League last week has not stopped the team’s star players from keeping a close eye on the competition. One such player is Mats Hummels, who made a statement on Twitter during the Tuesday evening match between ManCity and RB Leipzig.
Hummels expressed his dissatisfaction with the current decision-making process for hand penalties, stating that it is going in the wrong direction. His comment came after a controversial penalty was awarded to ManCity when Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs headed the ball onto his arm in the penalty area from behind.
Initially, the penalty was not given, but the video assistant referee (VAR) intervened after reviewing the footage, and the penalty was awarded. The early lead for ManCity spurred them on to a 3-0 victory, with all three goals scored by Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
The penalty decision was heavily criticized by experts, with some calling it a scandal, and others describing it as inexplicable at such a level. The decision brought back memories of Dortmund’s own controversial penalty whistle in their game against Chelsea, which saw them eliminated from the round of 16.
In that game, defender Marius Wolf was penalized for a handball, and even the repeat penalty kick was awarded after players ran into the penalty area too early. Havertz scored in the second attempt, securing a 2-0 win for Chelsea and ending Dortmund’s Champions League campaign.
It is no surprise that Hummels is still irritated by questionable handball decisions, given Dortmund’s own experiences. With the competition heating up, it remains to be seen whether more controversial decisions will be made in the coming weeks.
