Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac explains sideline confrontation with Dr. Muller-Wohlfahrt

Yesterday’s DFB Pokal semi final between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen was filled with surprises. Chief among them was a bizarre scene near the end of the game, where coach Niko Kovac was seen grappling with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt. Speaking to Bild after the game, Kovac explained the incident:

It wasn’t a quarrel at all! Rather, merely the fact that I didn’t want Javi to be treated, so he wouldn’t have to come off the field afterward and then we wouldn’t have to play the final minutes with ten men.

At the time the incident took place, Javi Martinez had gone down from a foul in the middle of the pitch. The game was nearing a close, and Werder had Bayern on the ropes. It’s understandable why Kovac didn’t want to be reduced to ten men in that situation. This isn’t going to become a big deal, unlike that time when Jose Mourinho went nuts on Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro for going onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard.

Hopefully, once the season is all said and done, we can look back on silly moments like this and laugh about them.