Thomas Tuchel felt Bayern Munich were denied a clear penalty during Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Bundesliga side came from behind to go 2-1 up in the first half, but super sub Leandro Trossard came off the bench to equalise for Arsenal in the 76th minute.
“Tough work, tough game against a very strong opponent with a fantastic crowd today,” Tuchel told TNT Sports. “The atmosphere was amazing for the home team.
“We stepped up after 1-0 down, very good reaction. In general a very good team effort. We hit the post.
“I think the referee did not have the courage to give a deserved penalty today in a bit of a crazy and awkward situation. He admitted on the pitch that he saw the situation and that quarter-final is not enough for him to give a penalty. He admitted he saw the mistake the player made.”
In the post-match press conference, Tuchel elaborated on the incident and the explanation given to his team. In the 66th minute of the game David Raya seemingly took a short kick out after the referee blew his whistle, which Gabriel stopped with his hands to retake.
“The referee made a huge mistake, there was a penalty for handball,” Tuchel insisted. “I know it was a crazy situation. They put the ball down, he whistles and the defender takes the ball with his hands.
“What makes us really angry is the explanation on the pitch. He told our players it was a ‘kid’s mistake’ and he won’t give a penalty for that in a Champions League quarterfinal.
“It’s a horrible, horrible explanation. Kid’s mistake, adult’s mistake, whatever. We feel angry because it was a huge decision against us.”
Bayern Munich will host Arsenal for the second leg on 17 April.
