In commenting on a penalty he believed his side should have been awarded in Saturday evening’s Bundesliga Top-Spiel against RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund trainer Niko Kovac referenced his childhood experience practicing Judo. Kovac’s BVB fought back valiantly from a two-goal deficit to draw the hosting German Red Bulls 2-2 at the Red Bull Arena. Unfortunately, the dropped points may spell the end of Dortmund’s Bundesliga title hopes.
The scene in question
BVB substitute Karim Adeyemi found himself felled in the box in the 89th minute by RB defender Castello Lukeba. At that point, Dortmund were still trailing by a goal. Despite the fact that Fabio Silva scored a spectacular equalizer at 90+5 to at least secure a point for Dortmund, Kovac hadn’t fully calmed down after the full time whistle.
Kovac and the rest of the BVB bench wildly gesticulated after the Adeyemi-Lukeba incident, pleading that match official Benjamin Brand should have at least been sent to the pitch-side VAR screen to review the play. This didn’t happen. Brand waved play on. VAR did not intervene. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl also complained afterwards.
Statements from Niko Kovac and Sebastian Kehl
“There were a few situations that could be discussed,” Kehl remarked in the mixed zone. “But for me, it’s mainly a penalty at the end. Lukeba doesn’t play the ball at all. It was clearly the wrong decision. Even after a few minutes of thinking and calming down, I still think it’s a clear penalty.”
”If I may say so, I was also a judoka [a judo practitioner] until I was 13 or 14,” Kovac added when speaking afterward. “That’s a clear sickle sweep. I really don’t know what they saw in the studio, but apparently the wrong thing. Of course Karim puts his foot out there, but he [Lukeba] doesn’t even hit the ball.
“And I don’t understand why no action was taken [by the VAR team],” Kovac continued. “Probably because they don’t want to overrule too much. Because if you overrule too much, it looks stupid, of course.”
