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Referee Felix Bickel stands in front of the dark screen as he prepares to review a VAR decision on a penalty kick for Berlin, during the German 2nd Bundesliga soccer match between Preussen Muenster and Hertha BSC at the Preussen Stadium. Bernd Thissen/dpa
A German referee was prevented from checking a penalty on the pitchside monitor after two masked individuals pulled the plug at a second-division game on Sunday.
The referee at the Preussen Münster against Hertha Berlin match was sent to the screen by the video assistant referee (VAR) but when he got there, it was black.
Sky TV quoted a security employee as saying it was sabotage and the club later confirmed it.
"Preussen Münster regret the incident and will do everything in our power to identify the perpetrator(s) and hold them accountable. Measures were taken immediately to prevent similar incidents in the future. According to initial findings, this was a planned action," a statement on the club website stated.
A banner was briefly held up in the Münster fan block during the game which read, "Pull the plug on VAR."
The team's captain backed the apparent fan action.
"Our fans are legendary, they do everything to support us," Jorrit Hendrix told Sky TV. "I actually think it's good that a fan pulled the plug, because the fans really want us to win, and if they do everything they can to make that happen, then I fully understand it."
In his stadium announcement after being unable to review a possible penalty for Hertha, referee Felix Bickel explicitly pointed out that the video assistant had judged the scene to be a foul not himself.
Fabian Reese converted the penalty in the fourth minute of added time in the first half to give Hertha a 1-0 lead at half-time. The Berliners won 2-1.
Incident follows Cologne row
German football has endured a controversial weekend with regards to referees.
Cologne's stadium announcer was criticized by his own club for slamming refereeing decisions twice over the public address system in the 2-1 home loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The top German refereeing body DFB Schiri GmbH also said in a statement to broadcaster ARD that his outbursts were "unacceptable" and Michael Trippel has apologized.
"My comments were made in the heat of the moment and out of frustration with VAR, which has repeatedly disadvantaged us this season," he told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.
DFB Schiri GmbH admitted that Cologne should have had a penalty late on when Yan Couto's handball was not punished.
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