Lewis Holtby furious at officiating after disallowed goal: “If that’s a foul, then I better retire next year.” | OneFootball

Sunday’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw between Holstein Kiel and Bochum did neither relegation threatened side much good. The fixture unfortunately carried with it some serious refereeing controversies.

Kiel captain Lewis Holtby didn’t mince words when it came time to vent his frustration to German broadcaster DAZN afterwards. Holtby felt himself wronged by two major decisions in the match one in which a brutal collision left him with a gash (47th) and another (74th) which saw his goal disallowed.

Holtby understandably furious at the decision to have his potential match-winning goal revoked. The veteran Holtby – in the Kiel starting XI for just the tenth time in 21 league matches this season – scored the presumed 3-2 winner in the 73rd minute. It would have been the 34-year-old’s first Bundesliga goal in nearly six years and a strong answer to critics of his captaincy.

Match official Felix Zwayer rescinded the goal due to a foul by Holtby on new Bochum acquisition Tom Krauß. Zwayer went to the on-pitch screen himself to assess whether Holtby had swiped Krauß’ face in the duel.

“I honestly have to say that it’s a scandal,” fumed in his post-match interview with DAZN. “I didn’t even touch him in the face.I more or less kept my hand at a safe distance. He ran into my hand. Maybe the little finger touched it? Call me crazy but if that’s a foul, then I’d better quit next season.“

The other scene in question took place earlier just after the restart. Holtby got knocked over by Bochum defender Ivan Ordets in the box. It did appear that Ordets did not see Holtby and that the contact was unintentional. Holtby’s post-match mood still didn’t jive with the decision.

“That wasn’t an accident,” Holtby said. “I was fouled and taken out in the box. I just don’t have the words.“

Kiel head coach Marcel Rapp also spoke on the second incident at his post-match press conference. The fouled Krauß, for his part, expressed some understanding for Holtby when surveying the replays during his DAZN interview.

“That was a tough decision for us to swallow,” Rapp said of the 47th-minute collision between Ordets and Holtby. “I can only say what the fourth official told me: if a player does not see the opponent, then it is not per se a foul. Therefore, it is probably the right decision, although it is difficult to understand. I don’t know the rule. If there is a rule, then it’s correct.”

“If I’m honest, he didn’t have to rule that way,” Krauß said. “Maybe we got lucky there, but the fact remains that my head hurt and I had to be subbed off when I wanted to remain on the pitch.”

GGFN | Peter Weis