A top game with high intensity, countless duels and a lot of toughness – that’s what the 15,372 spectators in the sold-out Merkur Arena saw in the Sturm game against Salzburg. Chances to score remained in short supply. The league leaders’ 1-0 away win came about thanks to a nice goal from Dane Mads Bidstrup (48th). Despite great excitement, this did not fall irregularly. When Salzburg threw in, his foot was only in the air when the ball had already left his hands. So it wasn’t a foul throw-in. Apart from a long-range shot from Jusuf Gazibegovic, which hit the bar and thus failed to equalize, the Graz team did not manage to get a shot on goal.
The final phase was definitely memorable. Referee Stefan Ebner, who delivered a good performance overall, as all sides emphasized after a cooling-off phase, had his hands full. A foul by Lucas Gourna-Douath on Tomi Horvat, after which Salzburg held on to the ball, heated up tempers. Jon Gorenc Stankovic fought a duel with the Frenchman that led to the formation of a pack. Ebner showed Stankovic and Gourna-Douath the red card after previously showing the latter a yellow card for the foul.
Lucas Gourna-Douath (right) and Jon Gorenc Stankovic both saw the red card © GEPA
The video assistant referee Manuel Schüttengruber then also intervened, who recommended that Ebner watch a scene in which Dimitri Lavalee touched Gourna-Douath in the neck area. The decision: also red!
Dimitri Lavalee was subsequently shown a red card for an offense against Lucas Gourna-Douath after the VAR intervened © APA
However, one situation remained under the radar for the referee team and the VAR. Oumar Solet pulled Stankovic backwards in a stranglehold as the pack formed. “That was the worst action of all,” Sturm managing director Andreas Schicker later said, furious. “I hope that the Criminal Senate will take a very close look at this and Solet will be subsequently banned.” This would be possible because the referee team did not notice this scene and therefore assessed it.
This scene is likely to have repercussions. It is clearly visible how Oumar Solet chokes Jon Gorenc Stankovic © GEPA
The background to the action to obtain a possible ban for Solet is very simple: Stankovic and Lavalee (just like Gourna-Douath) have to watch the ÖFB Cup semi-final duel between the two top clubs on Thursday because of the red cards because of the bans apply across all competitions after red cards. If Solet also had to serve a suspension, at least one of the Mozartstadt team’s outstanding central defenders would not be eligible to play.
Schicker will probably have to cope with his own red card. After the game, he knelt in front of Ebner to symbolize kneeling in front of Salzburg. An unwise action that was due to emotionality, as Schicker later admitted.
Andreas Schicker kneeling in front of referee Stefan Ebner, for which he was shown a red card © GEPA
2024-04-01 04:13:12
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