Referee Christian Dingert admits sending off Luis Diaz was a mistake
| Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images |
Saturday’s 1-1 draw between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich featured multiple controversial moments, including referee Christian Dingert’s decision to give Luis Diaz a second yellow card for alleged simulation in the second half.
Diaz lost his balance and had slight contact with Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich before going down.
Dingert judged it to be a dive during the match, but after reviewing footage of the incident afterwards, he admitted he made a mistake.
“In real time it looked to me like Diaz went down on his own. That’s how I perceived it. I didn’t notice the contact with his foot at that speed or in that moment,” Dingert told Sky Germany, adding:
“Now that I’ve seen the images, I’d say it’s not a penalty – that’s pretty clear. A second yellow card is very harsh, and after seeing the footage now, I wouldn’t give it again.”
Bayern finished the match with nine men, as Nicolas Jackson had already been sent off in the first half.
