Willenborg explains decision to wave off penalty: "For me, that was just a graze"
By Peter Vice @ViceytheSS
DFB Schiedsrichter Frank Willenborg has weighed in on his decision to take back a penalty call that might have swung Eintracht Frankfurt's 1-1 draw with Hertha BSC.
| DFB Schiri Frank Willenborg | Northside CC-BY-SA 3.0 |
"From my vantage point on the pitch was that the goalkeeper was pulling the player's foot away," Willenborg explained afterwards, "At first it seemed to be a clear thing. After reviewing the images, the contact wasn't related to the player's fall. For me, it was just a graze."
"It's important to me that, in the end, the proper call is made," Willenborg continued, "That's why I took the time to evaluate it properly. I didn't want to miss out on seeing it from the proper angle. The decision also fit the game management. I was liberal with the whistle and let the game run its course. I didn't want to decide the game."
SGE trainer Oliver Glasner obviously took a different view. There was a fair amount of protest around the Frankfurt dugout after Willenborg waved off the spot kick. After revealing that he had spoken to Willenborg afterwards, Glasner registered his dissent.
"He [Willenborg] told me that he didn't want to give a soft penalty," Glasner noted, "I thought it was a clear penalty. The referee made a mistake, just as players make mistakes. We're not exactly happy, but have to accept it."