After a challenge by Germany's Koch: referee Stieler admits mistake
Should Hamburg have had a penalty in their cup tie with Frankfurt? Having seen the footage, referee Tobias Stieler says yes. Germany defender Robin Koch was involved.
Archive image · Photo: Sharkomat from Rendsburg, Deutschland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Frankfurt's 3-1 win at Hamburger SV in the second round of the DFB Cup has an epilogue involving Germany international Robin Koch. Hamburg coach Merlin Polzin criticised a challenge by the Eintracht captain on Hamburg's Zakaria El Ouahdi after the game: "For me, the situation could clearly have led to a penalty."
Referee Tobias Stieler has since agreed with Hamburg. "When I look at the pictures after the game, a penalty would have been the better decision," the official was quoted as saying by Hessischer Rundfunk. The admission does not change the result: Frankfurt are in the last 16, which will be drawn on Sunday, 1 November.
On the pitch, it was still a good evening for Koch. The 30-year-old scored the opener in the 56th minute and was praised as a "leader" by coach Adi Hütter. Head coach Jürgen Klopp will name his squad for the Nations League games in Serbia and against the Netherlands in early November.