Brych expresses sympathy for Hradecky's "harsh" red
Leverkusen-Dortmund match official Dr. Felix Brych conceded that he felt his duty to send off B04 keeper Lukas Hradecky for handling a ball outside the box late in the match "a bit harsh" and had already explained his logic to the Werkself skipper.
At the start of stoppage time during this Saturday evening's "Top Spiel" a long pass into the path of Marco Reus was snatched up by Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky. The B04 net-minder did take care to plant his feet firmly back in his box before making the grab, but reached out rather far to take the ball away from Reus. Initially, the game continued before the referee Dr. Felix Brych and asked him to view the images.
After review, Dr. Brych felt he had to deliver Hradecky a straight red for the clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Byrch applied item one of rule 12, which states that any handling of the ball to prevent a goal-scoring chance must meet with a sending off.
"I should have paid more attention during the referee training," Hradecky remarked afterwards, "At most I was five or ten centimeters out. I would have acted differently if if that counts preventing a goal-scoring opportunity."
Brych revealed that he himself felt iffy about the decision.
"It was really a weird scene," the ref conceded, "I've never given a red card like that in the Bundesliga. I've experienced something like that at some point in amateur football. I was a bit sorry that I had to decide so harshly there, but there was no other way."
"It's ultimately an emergency braking rule that's applied here, and clearly it's a bit harsh," Brych continued, "I explained it to him, I get along pretty well with Lukas anyway. He's a fair sportsman and always comes to say thank you after the game. I appreciate him and that's why I talked to him."