"We won't be silenced!": Christoph Freund defends FC Bayern's fierce criticism of the referee

"There were a lot of emotions and a lot of controversial decisions in Leverkusen. We were frustrated and made that clear. That’s our right; other teams do the same. FC Bayern will continue to stand up for what we believe in. As FC Bayern, we will always speak our minds and won’t let anyone silence us,” said the Austrian at the press conference ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga match against Union Berlin (3.30 pm).

The match against Leverkusen was anything but smooth, with two incidents in particular causing discontent among the Bayern players: the yellow-red card shown to Luis Diaz following an alleged dive in the penalty area, and the disallowed goal by Harry Kane for handball.

Honorary President Uli Hoeneß reacted angrily to the officials’ decisions afterwards, describing it as “the worst performance by a refereeing team I have ever seen in a Bundesliga match”.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash, Union Berlin’s managing director Horst Heldt defended the referees and warned: “They don’t have it easy. Because, of course, every situation is scrutinised and monitored very closely. And that’s not right.” Freund responded calmly to these concerns and made it clear that FC Bayern did not share such worries.

For the German record champions, the matter is “settled”, Freund explained. “Referees are an important part of football. It is also important that they are protected and able to perform to the best of their ability. Everyone knows that: clubs, players, officials and coaches. There will always be matches where there are controversial situations and where some days are better and others worse.”

FC Bayern are striding towards the league title and, with eight matchdays remaining, sit nine points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.