– I freaked out. I apologize for my choice of words. It was way over the limit. I am very annoyed with myself and the choice of words, says a repentant Deniz Aytekin to Bild. The top German referee had just refereed the match between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. While the pulse was still high after the match, he unleashed on former referee colleague and current TV expert Manuel Gräfe. – In the stadium, not a single person talks about the referee. No! And then Manuel Gräfe sits with his 180 kg in Berlin and preaches such crap, you hear Aytekin say via Sport1. Müller: – I’m excited to hear about The background was that he had to explain a situation where Bayern’s Leon Goretzka was kept in the shirt before Leipzig went up 2-1. Aytekin believed that it should have been blown. GERMAN FIFA REFEREE: Deniz Aytekin. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP When Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller was interviewed by a Bundesliga reporter after the match, it was Aytekin’s voice that was heard. He made rambling remarks to a ZDF journalist. Müller was clearly disappointed after the 1–3 loss, but seemed to be cheered up by the statements. – I’m listening eagerly, Müller told the Bundesliga reporter after a few seconds of silence, before adding this a little later: – All right. I like to listen to … Those feelings, Müller grins in the direction of Aytekin and the other journalists. He laughed heartily at the emotional outburst. Gräfe responded on Twitter Aytekin took no self-criticism for the match ending as it did. – It’s slowly getting to me. It’s crazy! And then I’m supposed to stand and talk about a bit of holding. It’s crazy and has nothing to do with sports. The game was decided by the players, the referee stated. He explained afterwards that he regretted his choice of words and was going to call Gräfe. He had already sent a message. The following day, he receives a reply on social media from his former colleague: “Oh. Aytekin could not/would not answer professionally justified questions”, Gräfe writes on Twitter and calls the whole thing a “media diversionary maneuver”. EX-REFEREE: Manuel Gräfe during a match between Werder Bremen and RB Leipzig in 2021. Photo: Carmen Jaspersen / AP He believes the reaction proves that they do not accept other opinions. He also offers a joke about the weight claim: – It’s easy to confuse pounds with kilograms (91 for 1.97) when you yourself say you’re 180. That’s where you got confused, writes Gräfe and adds a wink . The ex-judge ends by saying that he received a long apology via SMS. PS! Bayern’s loss to Leipzig means that the southern Germans no longer have control of the league gold. Borussia Dortmund and Julian Ryerson can take over the top of the league with a win over Augsburg on Sunday. Next weekend the battle for the title will be decided.
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The referee’s tirade caught on the microphone – Thomas Müller interrupted the interview to listen – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
