Baum stunned by early penalty decision in Mainz defeat

Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum voiced his frustration following his side’s 2-0 defeat away at Mainz, with the early penalty decision dominating the post-match discussion.

Just five minutes had elapsed at the Mewa Arena when Elvis Rexhbecaj was adjudged to have fouled Stefan Bell in the box after a miscued clearance from a corner. Referee Patrick Ittrich immediately pointed to the spot, and despite a lengthy VAR review – during which replays appeared to show little or no contact – the on-field decision was upheld, much to Baum’s disbelief.

“It’s completely incomprehensible that the referee didn’t go to the monitor and that the decision wasn’t overturned,” Baum said at the post-match press conference. “You can’t see any contact in any of the footage. You only see a player falling down.”

Even Rexhbecaj, the player involved in the incident, admitted uncertainty over the challenge. “I think I touched him minimally – really minimally. It was a graze,” he told Sky.

Referee Patrick Ittrich later defended his call, insisting he had no doubts at the time of the decision.

“I saw that Bell clearly played the ball and that Rexhbecaj went in with full force, resulting in clear contact on the foot – and I heard it too,” Ittrich explained. “All the players around him heard the bang. For me, it was a clear penalty.”

Baum, however, continued his scathing assessment of the VAR process.

“If no contact is visible in the images and the decision still stands, that in itself is an absurd argument,” he added. “Nobody can explain to me how anyone arrives at such a conclusion.”

It marks the second consecutive week Augsburg have felt aggrieved by a penalty decision, although they emerged victorious despite controversy against St. Pauli last time out. Attention now turns to a crucial home clash with struggling Heidenheim next week, as Baum’s side look to create further distance from the relegation zone.