Holstein Kiel substitute Michael Eberwein was left stunned after giving away a penalty while warming up as a substitute during his side’s clash with Bochum.
Eberwein was limbering up to the left of Holstein’s goal before kicking a wayward shot back into the penalty area before it went out of play.
Although the shot was destined to hit the advertising hoardings behind the goal and result in a goal kick, the referee decided to award a penalty to Bochum anyway.
Under IFAB rules, if a substitute interferes with play and play is stopped then the referee has the power to award a direct free-kick, penalty or restart play with a drop ball.
Bochum took full advantage of the referee’s decision to opt for the harshest punishment as Silvere M’boussy converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-1.
However, Holstein bounced back from the bizarre incident to take all three points when Janni Luca Serra scored the winner on 52 minutes.
Eberwein, meanwhile, ended the game as an unused substitute but was given a yellow card for his role in the spot kick, despite not playing a minute of the contest.
The incident continues a bizarre week of penalty incidents involving German clubs, after Borussia Monchengladbach were awarded a fortuitous injury-time spot-kick against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.
Referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot despite Roma defender Chris Smalling clearly blocking a header with his face, with Gladbach’s Lars Stindl slotting home from 12 yards to seal a 1-1 draw.
[Daily Mail]
