FC Bayern had a bitter Champions League night in their 3-3 draw against Viking Stavanger. Despite an impressive comeback, the Munich team could only manage a single point in the end. After the final whistle, the disappointment was palpable. Konrad Laimer, in particular, was visibly upset and openly criticized referee Georgi Kabakov.
The Austrian was in the starting lineup for the away game in Norway and experienced a turbulent match. After falling behind 0–2 early on, Bayern fought their way back and even took a 3–2 lead at one point.
But after Michael Olise was sent off, the momentum shifted again. In stoppage time, the German record champions conceded the equalizer.
Afterward, however, Laimer was frustrated not only with the result but also with several of the referee’s calls.
“He called whatever he wanted.”
In an interview with Amazon Prime Video, the 29-year-old described a play in which he went down after being hit in the head.
In his view, the opposing player should have been cautioned for that. “I just thought he hit me in the head with his hand. And I just thought to myself, that’s actually a yellow card,” Laimer explained.
The Bayern player was particularly blunt in his assessment of the referee’s performance. “The ref just wanted to call whatever he wanted anyway, but that’s another story,” the Austrian grumbled.
A decision related to a possible head injury caused further confusion. Laimer had to leave the field after play was stopped, even though, by his own account, he hadn’t needed medical attention. “I always thought the ref had to stop the game in case of a head injury,” the midfielder explained.
The referee initially asked him if he needed medical attention. Laimer said no, but was still forced to leave the field afterward. “I thought the rules were that I only have to leave if medical staff come onto the field,” said the Bayern star.
Laimer doesn’t understand the rules
Despite his clear criticism, Laimer admitted that he himself may not have understood the relevant rule correctly. “Maybe I’m just wrong about the rules,” the 29-year-old explained.
Above all, the lack of an explanation for the decision bothered him. “No one explained it to me. If I wasn’t paying attention during the rules training, then that’s on me,” Laimer added.
From the Bayern pro’s perspective, however, the incident was just one part of an overall unfortunate evening in which the Munich team struggled repeatedly with officiating calls and their own mistakes.
“It can’t happen to us, and it mustn’t happen.”
Despite his criticism of the referee, Laimer didn’t want to place the blame for the loss of a point solely on Kabakov. Rather, the midfielder made it clear that Bayern had let the game slip away due to their own carelessness.
In particular, the two goals conceded in the first half were unacceptable. “It can’t happen to us, and it mustn’t happen,” Laimer made clear.
That said, he by no means denied his team’s determination or commitment. “It’s not a lack of effort,” the Austrian emphasized.
Rather, the team needs to act with more composure in decisive situations. Every player on the field needs to play “a little smarter.” The fact that FC Bayern did not emerge victorious despite their clear superiority is likely to add to the disappointment.
Statistically, Munich dominated the game with 66 percent possession and 25 shots on goal. The German record champions also held a clear lead in expected goals, 3.51 to 0.56.
In the end, however, the scoreboard read only 3–3.
For Laimer, one thing is clear: It’s not just the referees’ decisions that need to be addressed. Bayern itself must also learn from its mistakes if it wants to win such games again in the future.