Tobias Welz explains decision to send off Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Dayot Upamecano’s red card in the eighth minute of Bayern Munich’s 3-2 loss at Borussia Monchengladbach was the real turning point in the match and a point of a high controversy.

He was ruled to have brought down Gladbach’s Alassane Pléa as Bayern’s last man back in retreat, but replays seemed to suggest that there was very minimal contact from Upamecano on his French compatriot. There was the slightest touch on the shoulder of Plea from Upamecano, but it looked like the former took a bit of a dive to sell the decision to the referee, and from then on, everything tilted in Gladbach’s favor, despite Bayern managing to score twice with only ten men.

Julian Nagelsmann vociferously vented his frustration at the decision after the final whistle, having a right go at the officiating staff. However, he was very prompt to apologize for his outburst with a public apology via his social media accounts. He did receive a yellow card during the match, but it remains to be seen whether or not the DFL or DFB will decide to punish him any further for his comments made towards the officials.

Later on in the weekend, the match referee Tobias Welz went on Sport1’s Dopplepass to explain his rationale for making the decision. “Of course it was a close decision,” he said, adding that “[Pléa] tried to keep running, but there was contact on the shoulder from [Upamecano], which made him lose his balance. Upamecano was the last man and therefore shown a red card.”

Welz could’ve made the decision to have a closer look at the incident himself via the video assist monitor on the side of the pitch at Borussia Park, but he was confident enough in the verbal communications coming from the replay center in Cologne. “I discussed it with the video assistant, of course. He also checked it for a long time, but he was not able to give me any other pictures than the ones I saw live on the pitch. That’s why we agreed there was no need to review it,” he explained.

Welz also provided some reassurance that there are no heart feelings between himself and the Bayern manager, especially considering what Nagelsmann had said about the officials after full time to the press. “We had a face-to-face conversation in the dressing room. There were no insults. For me, everything is okay. We’ll shake hands normally next time we see each other,” he assured.

Photo by Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images