"Maybe he was afraid of the fans" - Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can slams 'arrogant' referee for what he did in 2-0 loss to Chelsea
Borussia Dortmund fell to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 second leg. The German club crashed out of the competition after losing 2-1 on aggregate.
Raheem Sterling scored a goal late in the first half which leveled the tie, followed by major drama that led to the Blues' second goal. Kai Havertz slotted his penalty kick on the second attempt to make it 2-0 in the second period as the west Londoners held on to win.
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However, the events leading up to and the nature of the second goal left Borussia Dortmund players incensed. Marius Wolf handled the ball while Ben Chilwell attempted to cross it and Chelsea were awarded a penalty.
Kai Havertz stepped up and saw his shot strike the post. However, the referee remarkably awarded a re-take, citing encroachment by players as the reason. Havertz stepped up and tucked his second attempt away, leaving Dortmund fuming.
Speaking to BT Sport (via talkSPORT), midfielder Emre Can shared his views on the matter.
"To give a second penalty? I just don't understand it. He [Havertz] hit the post, end of story.
"The referee was arrogant all game... we're playing in Stamford Bridge. Maybe he was afraid of the fans, no idea but then maybe UEFA should send another referee. It's just not on."
His teammate, Jude Bellingham, seemed to be in agreement as he explained that it is natural for players to have a yard or two inside the box due to slower run-ups.
“It’s a yard or two away.. I’m not too sure. I don’t want to get in trouble. I’ve paid enough to them lot.
“I think that in itself was disappointing and the fact they’ve had a retake was a joke. For every penalty, especially when he has a slow run-up, there’s going to be people encroaching into the box by a yard or so.
“That’s the game I suppose. He’s made the decision and we have to live with it.”
Borussia Dortmund will look to maintain their title charge
Edin Terzic and his Dortmund side are in a strong position in the Bundesliga after two-thirds of the season. They have racked up 49 points from 23 games and are second to Bayern Munich by virtue of goal difference - a whopping 25 goals behind.
Borussia Dortmund have won their first 10 games in 2023 and sit top of the Bundesliga.
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However, with important wins over RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg over the past month or so, Terzic's men have created some breathing room between themselves and teams below them.
Next up is the all-important Revierderby for Dortmund as they travel to face FC Schalke on Saturday, March 11 in a late kick-off.