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German football body: Freiburg goal in extra-time should have counted
TL;DR
The German Football Federation stated that Freiburg's disallowed goal in the German Cup semi-finals against VfB Stuttgart should have counted. Lucas Höler's goal was ruled out for a foul, but officials deemed the challenge legal.
Key points
- Freiburg's goal in extra-time was disallowed
- The DFB ruled the goal should have counted
- Lucas Höler's goal would have given Freiburg a 2-1 lead
- The foul was called on Jeff Chabot
- Marco Fritz described the challenge as legal
Mentioned in this story
Marco Fritz
SC FreiburgVfB Stuttgart
Freiburg's Lucas Hoeler and Heidenheim's Patrick Mainka battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim at Europa-Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa
The German Football Federation (DFB) said that Freiburg's disallowed goal in extra-time of the German Cup semi-finals against VfB Stuttgart on Thursday should have counted.
Lucas Höler's goal would have given Freiburg a 2-1 lead in the 97th minute but it was ruled out due to a foul on Jeff Chabot.
However, Marco Fritz, head of rule interpretation and evaluation at German top refereeing body DFB Schiri GmbH, said that the situation was a "robust but legal challenge."
"In the heat of the moment, the referee noticed that Lucas Höler had used his arm in an illegal manner during a tackle on Jeff Chabot. That is why he called a foul and stopped play," Fritz explained.
"However, based on the TV footage, it would have been much better to judge the duel as a physical but legal challenge, let the game continue, and count Höler's goal that followed immediately afterward."
Stuttgart eventually won the match 2-1 thanks to Tiago Tomas' goal in the 119th and reached the German Cup final, in which they will face Bayern Munich.
Q&A
Why was Freiburg's goal disallowed in the German Cup semi-finals?
Freiburg's goal was disallowed due to a foul on Jeff Chabot, but officials later stated it should have counted.
What did the DFB say about the disallowed goal by Freiburg?
The DFB confirmed that Freiburg's disallowed goal in extra-time should have counted, describing the challenge as legal.
Who is Marco Fritz and what did he say about the incident?
Marco Fritz is the head of rule interpretation at DFB Schiri GmbH, and he stated that the challenge leading to the disallowed goal was robust but legal.
