Bayern Munich's Champions League journey came to a heartbreaking end after a tense semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. Despite a late equalizer from Harry Kane, the German giants were eliminated on aggregate, losing 6-5 over two matches. Following the defeat, manager Vincent Kompany voiced his displeasure with the officiating, suggesting his team faced too many adverse factors.
The match itself was a dramatic affair. PSG took an early lead through Ousmane Dembélé in the third minute, putting Bayern on the back foot from the start. The home side battled valiantly and were rewarded deep into stoppage time when Kane found the net in the 94th minute to level the score on the night. However, it was not enough to overturn the deficit from the first leg, which had ended 5-4 in favor of the French champions.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, Kompany acknowledged his players' disappointment, believing they had given their all. He characterized the tie as one decided by fine margins, noting the closely contested history between the two clubs over the past two years. "We have played PSG five times in the last two years, with two wins, two losses, and now a draw. It is always this kind of game," he reflected.
The core of Kompany's criticism, however, was directed at the match officials. He stated that a review of several refereeing decisions across both legs was necessary. While admitting that these calls do not justify the entire outcome, he insisted they were significant factors that could not be ignored. "Looking back at both matches, there were too many elements that went against us," the Belgian manager asserted.
Kompany specifically highlighted two controversial handball incidents. Regarding the first, he explained his understanding of the rules, stating the ball first struck the player's body before hitting his arm from a close range. He argued that because the initial contact was with the body and the trajectory was a cross, the decision to award a penalty was questionable. The second incident involved a different player whose hand was in the air when the ball struck it, but Kompany noted it came from a teammate's kick, which should have negated a penalty call.
He further criticized the lack of consistency, calling the overall handling of the situations "completely absurd." Kompany emphasized that while these moments did not define the entire match, the tie was ultimately decided by a single goal, making such calls pivotal. He also pointed to a second yellow card incident involving Nuno Mendes, suggesting the referee initially intended to book the player but refrained after realizing it would result in a red card. Kompany expressed doubt over the alleged foul, stating that from the angles he saw, it did not appear that Konrad Laimer made contact with his hand.
The defeat marks the end of Bayern's European campaign, leaving them to focus on domestic competitions. Kompany's post-match comments underscore the frustration within the camp as they reflect on a tie that slipped away by the narrowest of margins, with refereeing decisions remaining a major talking point.
Based on reporting from サッカーキング.