Oliver’s decision was upheld by VAR
Mats Hummels has hit out at Premier League referee Michael Oliver for his decision to show him a straight red card on Wednesday night.
The Borussia Dortmund defender was dismissed after half an hour of his side’s Champions League clash with Ajax for an innocuous-looking challenge on Antony.
The Brazilian had unsuccessfully tried to evade a sliding tackle from Hummels by attempting a pirouette, only for the defender to make contact with the ball with his back and win possession back for Dortmund.
Antony tumbled to the ground as a result of the challenge, inadvertently stamping on Hummels in the process.
That was enough for Oliver to show the World Cup winner a red card – a decision which, bizarrely, was upheld by a VAR review.
Hummels’ dismissal proved costly for the home side, too. The game had been goalless at the time, but Erik Ten Hag’s men were able to capitalise on their one-man advantage, winning the game 3-1.
Speaking after the game, Hummels did not hold back in his criticism of the decision, revealing that Antony had admitted the challenge was not worthy of a sending off.
“I have no idea how you can give red as a referee at supposed Champions League level,” Hummels told DAZN.
“I was in complete disbelief, that’s an absurd wrong decision. The referee decided the game today and I think he knows that. I’ll ask him about it again in the dressing room, because I’m very interested in what he saw.
“He (Antony) came to me himself and said it was not a red card. But the video referee, if he does it full-time, has to see that for himself. He is a super footballer. Now he still has to learn to be a sportsman, then maybe he’ll be even better.”
This was Dortmund’s second successive defeat to Ajax, who have taken maximum points from their four Champions League games this season. The Bundesliga side remain second in their group, but are level on points with Sporting Lisbon, who they face in Portugal in their next European game after the international break.
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