Arnold responds to critics on social media: "Some situations are perceived differently on the pitch."

The controversial incident involving Bundesliga squad captains Maximilian Arnold and Atakan Karazor in a Wolfsburg-Stuttgart match over the weekend has - from a disciplinary perspective - been resolved. On Tuesday, the German FA rescinded Stuttgart skipper Karazor's red card; issued during a 50-50 on which replays clearly showed that it was actually Arnold that fouled Karazor. 

Arnold continued to take heat from both the German press and German footballing enthusiasts over the weekend, however, due to a post-match interview in which Arnold insisted that he had been the one fouled. Speaking at a Monday presser, Karazor called upon all VfB fans to stop attacking Arnold. The VfL skipper responded to these accusations Tuesday on his LinkedIn profile.

“Football thrives on intense duels and I'm someone who always gives his all," Arnold wrote, "The scene in the game against Stuttgart has caused quite a few discussions in retrospect. On Saturday, I felt pain in my ankle at that moment. Anyone who has ever played football knows that there are situations that a player may perceive differently than outsiders do at the time. I did not have the opportunity on the pitch to watch the scene again.”

"I have spoken to him [Karazor] about the incident and the matter is now closed," Arnold continued, "“It is [still] important to me to take a stand on this because a great many people have said something and I have also received some very unpleasant messages. I know that football means emotions and that's a good thing. But I hope that my children won't have to read such comments about their dad on the internet in the future.”