FC Bayern had to make do with a 2-2 draw at Hamburger SV and had to contend with several decisions by the referee after the final whistle. The early penalty for the hosts was at the center of the criticism. The game later received additional attention due to a formulation in the official live ticker of the DFL.
The decision to give HSV a 1-0 lead was already a source of great annoyance from Munich’s point of view. The penalty dominated the perception of the referee’s performance for long stretches of the match and remained the dominant topic among the record champions‘ players and officials even after the final whistle. There were also other situations during the match that caused displeasure.
In stoppage time, several scenes came to the fore once again, including the VAR reviewing a possible handball situation in the HSV penalty area. HSV defender Elfadli threw himself into a Bayern shot that flew towards him from close range, but in the opinion of the referees, the ball hit him in the chest area and not illegally on the arm.
The official DFL ticker published the phrase: „Bayern want a Bayern bonus!“ It was also explained that there was no punishable handball and therefore no penalty was awarded. The decision itself was considered correct in terms of the rules.
Achso
– LeonardFCB (@fcb_leonard) January 31, 2026
DFL changes ticker message retrospectively
Nevertheless, the choice of words in the ticker quickly spread on social media and caused a stir. A short time later, the DFL changed the entry or removed the corresponding wording. The reference to the „Bayern bonus“ disappeared, leaving a factual description of the scene. There was initially no official statement on the adjustment.
Irrespective of this, Bayern’s anger was not directed at this one situation alone. Rather, Harm Osmers ‚ entire match management was criticized, from the penalty for HSV to several decisions in the final phase.