Real Madrid star Toni Kroos infuriates fans with refereeing comments following controversy against RB Leipzig

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has given the clamouring RB Leipzig and Barcelona fans further fuel for their frustration following another controversial decision in favour of Los Blancos. Kroos admitted that RB Leipzig’s goal in the second minute, disallowed for offside interference, should have stood.

The game had barely started when Benjamin Sesko appeared to beat the offside trap and head home for the opener, giving Leipzig the perfect start. However after a VAR review, it was determined that the contact with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin from an offside Leipzig player was interfering with the Ukrainian.

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti dismissed controversy over the goal, saying it was offside, but Kroos was not of the same mind. During the TV broadcast it was put to Kroos that it ‘did not favour football’ to disallow such goals, as carried by Marca.

“At half-time we talked a lot about what happened in minute 2, Leipzig’s goal, which was disallowed. It wasn’t offside. There was a little push to the goalkeeper. I don’t know if you’ve seen it already. I don’t think this is “It favors football. This is not a question of whether it is a goal in favor of Leipzig, I simply think it is a legal goal. How do you see it?”

Kroos agreed that he would rather the goal had stood.

“I see it the same way. I think in the end he called offside because it got in his way, but the goalkeeper couldn’t reach the ball and that’s why the goal had to be given. You can’t argue any other way,” Kroos sentenced.

Refereeing analyst Antonio Mateu Lahoz claimed it was ‘madness’ to disallow the goal on Spanish TV coverage, but the letter of law does state that if Lunin’s ability to play the ball is impacted, even if he cannot make a play on the ball, then it is offside.

Utimately, it is such a tight decision that it could have been given either way, but what seems to be clear, based on Kroos’ comments at least, is that the law needs adjusting to take into account when the goalkeeper is left redundant.