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Bayern Munich CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen has criticised referee, João Pinheiro following his side’s UEFA Champions League exit to current title holders, Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
Bayern were eliminated from the competition after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final clash against PSG at the Allianz Arena, losing 6-5 on aggregate.
Dreesen was displeased with the Portuguese referee’s performance, harping on Pinheiro’s relative inexperience in high-stakes matches.
“It’s astonishing, to say the least, that a referee with only 15 Champions League appearances is allowed to officiate such a game. And that might explain some of the calls he made today,” Dreesen told Sky Germany after the match.
The tie featured several contentious decisions in the first half.
Bayern players and staff were incensed when Pinheiro did not issue a second yellow card to PSG’s Nuno Mendes for a handball incident and later waved away strong penalty appeals after the ball struck João Neves’ arm inside the penalty area following a clearance by teammate Vitinha.
Pinheiro, in his first Champions League semi-final, had previously officiated two Bayern matches in the competition, both wins for the German side.
He was also involved in issuing one of the yellow cards that led to Kompany’s suspension for the first leg.
PSG face Arsenal in the UCL final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30.
