During the Champions League semifinal match against Real Madrid, German football player Thomas Müller attacked referee Szymon Marciniak's decisions. Müller was shocked and upset by the referee's quick whistle, which he felt was unfair, in an interview he gave to RMC after the game.
Is that you, Marciniak? He skipped the video. Inquiring about the referee's hurry in making important choices, Müller questioned why he did not allow himself more time to examine the situation. Whistling so rapidly in such a setting is completely out of place.
This is commonplace in Madrid. After Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in a match against his club a few years ago, Müller drew similarities to that incident. On the other hand, he did point out that this was pre-Video Assistant Referee technology. A few years back, after Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, I went through this. "However, it occurred prior to the VAR," Muller said RMC. The forward for Bayern Munich has started a firestorm of controversy with his remarks against the usage of technology in football and the standards of referees.
There are many who agree with Müller's evaluation and many who think the referee made the right calls in the heat of the moment. One thing is becoming quite evident as this divisive topic is debated across the football community: the Champions League is at stake, and every choice matters. Time will tell whether Müller's vehement criticism of the referee's decision significantly affects the tournament, but it has certainly stoked the flames.