VAR Penalty Chaos In Mainz's Clash With Freiburg As Referee Calls Players Back On The Pitch During Half-Time

VAR Penalty Chaos In Mainz's Clash With Freiburg As Referee Calls Players Back On The Pitch During Half-Time
22:03, 16 Apr 2018

English football has had its fair share of problems and controversies with the infamous VAR system this season, but nothing comes close to the extraordinary scenes that occurred over in Germany in the Bundesliga clash between Mainz and Freiburg on Monday night.

The players had just ventured down the tunnel and into their respective dressing rooms for half-time when the referee, Guido Winkmann, suddenly ordered them all back out onto the pitch.

What the?

So moments after blowing the half-time whistle the referee opted to consult the VAR system. After reviewing the incident he then decided that Freiburg had handled the ball in the area at the end of the first-half, meaning Mainz now had a penalty seven minutes into the interval!

The Freiburg players were understandably outraged, in stark contrast to Mainz midfielder Pablo de Blasis who couldn't believe his luck as he gleefully stepped up and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the most bewildering of ways.

The players then returned to their dressing rooms, however the fans weren't quite done as Mainz supporters suddenly started hurling toilet paper onto the pitch, meaning the second-half was delayed even further as the stewards were left with an almighty clean up.

But, as it turned out the home supporters were in fact protesting against Bundesliga fixtures being played on Monday nights.

When the game was eventually restarted Mainz doubled their lead in the 78th minute after a shocking error from the visiting keeper, who gifted the hoists the second and final goal of the game.

Check out the staggering VAR scenes below, you really do have to see it to believe it!

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