Referee defends controversial decision amid Bade head injury drama in Hoffenheim win
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Refree Robert Hartmann has explained his decision not to immediately stop play following the frightenng head collision involving Loic Bade and Max Moerstedt during Hoffenheim's 3-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
The incident took place in the closing stages of the Bundesliga encounter in Sinsheim, with the two players clashing heads near the halfway line in the build-up to Alexander Prass' 89th-minute goal.
Despite both players going to ground after the collision, referee Hartmann allowed play to continue, resulting in Prass doubling Hoffenheim's lead.
The decision sparked frustration among the Leverkusen squad, while head coach Carles Martinez was furious.
As quoted by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Hartmann said after the match: “I decided to play advantage because it was a foul by the Leverkusen player. I didn't immediately recognise the seriousness of the injury.”
Alongside this, what he told DAZN revealed more.
“For me, it wasn't a collision,” he said. "Rather, it was actually the case that the Leverkusen player (Bade) arrived a split second too late in the header duel, making it a foul by him.
“I then decided to play advantage because there was momentum towards the goal, and the player was able to finish within a few seconds. At that point, I wasn't even fully aware of the severity of the injury.
“I had no diagnosis. I'm not a doctor, but a referee, trained to assess the situation holistically. I feel totally sorry for the player,” concluded Hartmann.
