Bayern CEO questions referee João Pinheiro after Champions League exit against PSG

After seeing his side crash out of the Champions League against PSG, Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen questioned the appointment of João Pinheiro as referee for the match.

Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Bayern Munich were frustrated by several key decisions made by referee João Pinheiro as they crashed out 6-5 on aggregate to PSG following a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.

Two of the most controversial incidents of the match came in the first half.

First, PSG’s Nuno Mendes escaped a second yellow card for handling after the referee instead whistled for a Bayern foul.

Shortly afterwards, PSG’s João Vitinha cleared the ball, which struck teammate João Neves on the arm inside the penalty area. Bayern’s bench appealed for a penalty, but VAR did not intervene due to the rule on accidental handball between teammates.

Speaking to Sky Germany after the game, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen suggested that referee João Pinheiro lacked the experience required to officiate a match at this level.

“It’s astonishing, to say the least, that a referee with only 15 Champions League appearances is allowed to take charge of such a match. And that perhaps also explains some of the decisions,” Dreesen said.