12 players, but no penalty for Bayern. The request of SC Freiburg, defeated at home last Saturday (1-4) by the reigning Bundesliga championships, was rejected this Friday by the sports court of the German Federation (DFB). The Fribourgeois had lodged a complaint against their opponents, arguing that they had evolved at 12 on the lawn for a few seconds.
While they hoped to obtain a victory on green carpet following the non-respect of this basic rule, the club, currently 5th in the Bundesliga, will not obtain the three expected points. “Bayern’s contribution to the fault, at most minimal and which is hidden behind the faulty behavior of the referees, is not enough […] to justify the serious legal consequence of a requalification of the match”, justified the DFB.
On Saturday, in the 85th minute, with the Munich team leading 3-1, their coach Julian Nagelsmann made two changes, with the entries of Niklas Sule and Marcel Sabitzer. But only Corentin Tolisso then leaves his place, and the game resumes for about fifteen seconds, before a Fribourgeois realizes it.
The fault was actually due to an error in the number on the scoreboard. France international Kingsley Coman, number 11, was due out, but the fourth referee’s panel showed 29, his old number, now unassigned. There was then a 5-minute break, before play resumed and Bayern ended up winning 4-1. The Munich residents remain wide leaders in the championship, with 66 points, 9 units ahead of Dortmund, second.