“Ghost goal”: German FA sports tribunal rejects TSG appeal

Alexander Rosen, director of football at TSG, explained in Frankfurt: “The verdict is obviously disappointing for us, even if there were already signs that it would end up this way. We tried to argue every point we could in favour of replaying the match. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Now we'll look at the reasons behind the verdict in peace and make a decision based on that.”

The tribunal, chaired by Hans E. Lorenz, decided that referee Dr. Felix Brych had not breached any rules. After around a 90-minute hearing, the sports tribunal opted to stick with the referee's call.

The referee had earlier said that he hadn't seen the “goal” because his view was obstructed. “I thought that the ball was going wide,” explained Brych. “After that, I saw that the ball was in the net.” According to his match notes, the referee then communicated with his assistants. Linesman Stefan Lupp nodded his head and Brych spoke to Mark Borsch via his headset.

Brych talks to Kießling

The referee said he can no longer remember the exact words of his discussion with Stefan Kießling before the match resumed: “The gist was that he too had doubt about where the ball was heading. He never said that it wasn't a goal.”

At first, Kießling thought that Hoffenheim's goalkeeper Koen Casteels had directed the ball into his own net. “I saw the ball heading towards the side netting, then my view was obstructed and I didn't see where it made contact, but I saw that it was in the goal,” said Kießling. He added: “I was uncertain. My first thought was that the keeper had turned it in himself. I thought of everything other than the ball going through a hole in the net.”

Lorenz: “Decision complies with rules and regulations”

“The decision may not be satisfactory from every point of view, but it complies with the rules and regulations. To make an exception simply because it was unbearable was not an option,” said ruling judge Hans E. Lorenz. “After the hearing of evidence, no ground for opposition has emerged. Referee Dr. Felix Brych made an indisputable decision. The accusation that rules had been breached was dropped by Hoffenheim representatives during the hearing.”

With the ruling against a replay, the German FA have taken the same stance as FIFA, who have always been an advocate of sticking by the original decision. Point five of the official regulations reads: “A referee's decision on moments within a match is final. That includes the result of the match, as well as awarding a goal.”

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