Bayern chief questions UEFA over referee selection as Vincent Kompany & Co left frustrated by contentious decisions in PSG defeat

In the aftermath of Bayern’s 1-1 draw with PSG, which resulted in a 6-5 aggregate elimination of the Bundesliga champions, the club's CEO questioned why Joao Pinheiro, a referee with limited experience at the highest level of European knockout football, was appointed for such a high-stakes fixture. Dreesen pointed to the 38-year-old’s CV as a potential reason for the inconsistencies seen on the pitch.

"It is at least astonishing that a referee who has never officiated a semi-final before and who only has 15 Champions League games on his record is officiating a semi-final. That is unusual and perhaps that also explains some of the decision," he told BILD.

Prior to the semi-final clash, Pinheiro's most prominent fixture in the competition being a round of 16 first leg between Club Brugge and Aston Villa last season. While the Portuguese official’s biggest previous overall assignment had been the UEFA Super Cup final, the jump to a tie between two European heavyweights proved to be a major talking point.

The frustration was equally evident on the touchline, where Vincent Kompany watched his side's European dreams slip away. The Belgian manager was particularly incensed by a sequence involving Joao Neves, where the ball struck the midfielder's arm from a teammate's clearance. While the Laws of the Game protect players from handball calls when the ball is struck onto them by a teammate, Kompany remained unconvinced.

“We have to look at some of the phases that were decided by the officials across the two games which… it’s never an excuse for everything but it matters,” Kompany said after the match. “[Neves’] hand is in the air, it hits it. Because it’s from his own teammate it’s not a penalty. But if you look at both [situations], a little bit of common sense and it’s just ridiculous. Whatever needs to happen but it’s ridiculous. It doesn’t tell the whole game but it’s a one-goal game in the end.”

Bayern's grievances began earlier in the contest when Nuno Mendes, already on a yellow card, appeared to handle the ball intentionally. Instead of showing a second yellow, Pinheiro awarded a free-kick the other way for an earlier foul by Konrad Laimer. This decision drew furious appeals from the Bayern players and staff who believed the numerical advantage would have tipped the scales in their favour.

Kompany suggested that the referee lacked the nerve to make the big call, saying: “I felt he pulled out because he realised he already gave him a yellow and he didn’t want to send him off for that.” This sentiment was echoed by Max Eberl, who noted, "For me, you can give a yellow-red card. Then the game goes differently."

The fallout has extended well beyond the current staff, with former Bayern captain Michael Ballack even suggesting a conspiracy against the German side. Pointing to the fourth official's unprecedented intervention in the Laimer incident, the German legend found the sequence of events highly suspicious: "It is the first time that the fourth official has intervened in such a scene. I had the feeling they didn't want to give the second yellow card. That's my feeling as a spectator. I say that quite openly," the German legend said to DAZN. Bayern must now put the controversy aside and turn their attention toward the DFB-Pokal final, while Paris Saint-Germain prepares for a final showdown against Arsenal.