Deniz Aytekin responds to Uli Hoeneß criticism: “Referees are only human!”

One of Germany’s most respected referees, Deniz Aytekin, has spoken out about the growing scrutiny surrounding officiating in football following recent criticism from Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeneß.

The comments came after a controversial refereeing performance in Bayern’s match against Leverkusen on Saturday, which sparked strong reactions from Hoeneß and renewed debate about the role of referees and technology in modern football.

Aytekin acknowledged the high expectations placed on officials but stressed that many decisions are not as simple as they may appear from the outside.

“The problem is that expectations are very high, but football is not always black or white,” Aytekin explained.

He pointed out that certain situations - particularly offside and handball decisions - are governed strictly by the written rules rather than the referee’s interpretation.

“In some situations, like offside, many people lack understanding, but those are clear rules. Football remains football, but the technology keeps developing.”

According to Aytekin, referees are ultimately tasked with applying the laws of the game rather than deciding them. “Very often it’s the written rule that decides, not the referee. The referee simply applies it.”

At the same time, the experienced official highlighted the physical and mental demands of the job. “Every referee’s ambition is to solve the situation correctly on the pitch,” he said. “But there are 22 elite athletes out there and you’re running behind them the whole time, it's really tough to get every call instantly right.”

He also noted that technological assistance has changed how refereeing decisions are perceived and discussed. “The debates are intensified by the technical support systems, but we ultimately rely on the rules.”

Aytekin admitted that harsh criticism from high-profile figures can be difficult for referees to handle. “Comments from angry experts, sporting directors and others always affect us referees,” he said.

However, he suggested that emotional reactions from football personalities are understandable in the heat of the moment. “I’m sure Uli Hoeneß says things like that ["worst refereeing performance in a while"] out of emotion. We understand that as well.”

Ultimately, Aytekin emphasised that referees should be viewed as part of the human side of football - including the possibility of mistakes.

“In the end, we referees are only human and can also make mistakes,” he said.

What he hopes for, however, is a greater willingness to remember that fact - especially when officials openly acknowledge errors themselves.

“I hope more people remember that, especially when we referees stand up and clearly admit our mistakes after games.”