Müller and Tuchel comment on late penalty: "We are playing a contact sport."
Thomas Müller, unsurprisingly, opted to be his usual self when conducting a post-match interview with DAZN broadcasters Alex Schlüter and Michael Ballack on Friday night.
Müller commented on a controversial late penalty awarded to Leverkusen. Thomas Tuchel also spoke on the scene when conducting his own interview with the DAZN team.
Match official Daniel Schlager defended his decision in the mixed zone.
Shortly after the full-time whistle in Friday night's 2-2 draw between FC Bayern München and Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Friday night, a wide-grinning Thomas Müller knew that he would be given an opportunity to comment on the officiating when speaking to DAZN broadcasters Alex Schlüter and Michael Ballack. Known for being poked and prodded during his post-match-interviews, Müller entered the pitch-side zone with a smile.
Müller commented on a controversial late penalty awarded to Leverkusen. Thomas Tuchel also spoke on the scene when conducting his own interview with the DAZN team.
Match official Daniel Schlager defended his decision in the mixed zone.
Schlüter began by asking Müller if he felt that the awarded set-piece that enabled Alejandro Grimaldo to equalize in the 24th was correct. It was Müller who was adjudged to have fouled Grimaldo in the lead-up with a high boot. The scene could be construed as controversial given that Grimaldo's foot was itself very high. Müller initially asked Ballack and Schlüter "what do you think?" before going silent.
Ballack proceeded to explain match official Daniel Schlager's reasoning. Müller proceeded to explain that he was definitely playing the ball, just as Grimaldo was. Schlüter and Ballack only got words back out of Müller by asking if Schlager had offered up an explanation to him personally. Müller kept it sly and sardonic.
"Yes, he defended his whistle," Müller noted, adding with a knowing smile, "Overall there were two interesting scenes prior to goals scored against us."
Leverkusen again equalized from the spot at 90+4. Schlager ruled that some light contact in the back from Alphonso Davies on Jonas Hofmann proved sufficient to award a penalty. Müller continued smiling and let out a chuckle before giving the reporters what they wanted.
"Yes, of course you can whistle that," Müller remarked as he prepared to depart the interview zone, "but we are playing a contact sport. It's football. That's all for tonight."
Schlager himself, commenting on the scene in the mixed zone, said that the placement of Davies' calf was decisive for him. Schlager revealed that the VAR team had told him to keep an eye out for it as he headed to the video screen. As soon as he saw the first replay, Schlager said, the VAR assistant's description.
Thomas Tuchel offered up his own thoughts afterward.
"For me, late in a top-match, that's nowhere near enough for a penalty," Tuchel told Schlüter and Ballack, "One shouldn't forget that he [Schlager] didn't whistle it down initially."
"That doesn't qualify as a clear-and-obvious error," Tuchel continued, "I can of course say that a thousand times and it doesn't matter."