Those who watched the Bundesliga match between Mainz and Bielefeld live on Saturday afternoon were in for quite a surprise in the 15th minute. Referee Felix Zwayer initially awarded a goal, which was clearly not a goal.
There was no doubt whatsoever about Mainz’s 1:0 on this 27th matchday: Jonathan Burkardt had put his colours cleanly in front after around 30 seconds in the comparison with Bielefeld. Less than a quarter of an hour later, everything was clear for the observer: Moussa Niakhaté nodded the ball towards goal, where Arminen keeper Stefan Ortega made a clean save and kept the ball in front of the line.
At least that’s what the goalkeeper and his team-mates thought. But not referee Felix Zwayer, who initially decided on a goal and thus 2:0. The reason: his watch, which was connected to the goal line technology that had been established for years, had vibrated. The referee then explained this to the loudly complaining Bielefeld players – above all, of course, goalkeeper Ortega.
Zwayer is sent off by the VAR
Luck now for the visitors: for seven years, since the 2015/16 season to be precise, the VAR has also been part of professional football – and video assistant Martin Thomsen as well as partner Philipp Hüwe contacted Zwayer shortly afterwards that something might be wrong here.
Zwayer thus displayed the video evidence sign, stepped out to the TV screen himself and studied all the settings. There it was clear that the ball had never crossed the goal line in its entirety. And so the FIFA referee, who had only recently decided to continue as a referee after hostility, was able to make the right decision: to take back the 2-0. After a brief explanation from the Mainz team around Niakhaté, who then enquired, a major mistake was thus avoided.
“Referee decision: no goal, reason for review: ball in goal?, final decision: no goal,” tweeted the German Football Association (DFB), which is responsible for the referees, about the scene.