Stuttgart have complained about a technical malfunction of the goal-line camera during their match against Bayer Leverkusen, which they claim contributed to Xavi Alonso’s side winning the German Super Cup.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time, forcing the teams to a penalty shootout to decide the winner, either for the first time for Leverkusen or the second time in Stuttgart’s history.
As usual, the referee conducted a draw before the penalty shootout and Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor won, allowing him to choose which goal to shoot at. He opted for the right-hand goal, far from the Leverkusen fans and very close to the Stuttgart supporters, which would have given them a clear advantage.
However, the referee responded with an unusual order, stating that the goal-line technology camera was not working in the right-hand goal and therefore the penalties would have to be taken in front of the Leverkusen fans at the left-hand goal.
Indeed, this had a clear impact. Young player Franz Krätzig, nervous due to the crowd pressure, had his penalty saved by goalkeeper Hrádecký, and Silas then missed another penalty, handing the trophy to Leverkusen.
After the match, Stuttgart star Denis Undav strongly criticized what had happened, while manager Sebastian Hoeneß said, “What happened was very frustrating and changed the course of things somewhat.”
