Both Joe Cole and Peter Crouch were full of praise for referee Serdar Gozubuyuk, after the official stuck with his original decision despite being sent to the pitchside monitor in Chelsea‘s Conference League clash with Heidenheim.
Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at half-time in the Conference League, their first time going in at the break not ahead in the competition, before Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock soon after.
Heidenheim had a goal of their own chalked off for offside, before Mykhailo Mudryk doubled the lead in the 86th minute with a brilliant first-time effort to surely take the points back to west London.
The Blues were stymied for the most part by Heidenheim – playing against an English side for the first time in their history – but thought they had a golden opportunity to get off the mark in the first half.
With 33 minutes on the clock, Mykhailo Mudryk thought he had earned his side a penalty, but referee Gozubuyuk was not convinced.
Yet the VAR appeared to think otherwise, and recommended that the Dutch official go to the monitor and reconsider his decision – something which mostly sees the call reversed.
However on this occasion Gozubuyuk stuck with his guns, judging the contact on the Ukrainian was not enough to merit a spot kick.
Both Cole and Crouch in the studio at half-time were full of praise for the Dutch referee, and hailed his decision.
‘We don’t often see it so credit the ref, he’s got it spot on,’ Cole began on TNT Sports.
‘Mudryk got it in the pocket, and look at this electric pace as he drives in. Clumsy from the centre half but when you see it from the other angle he doesn’t actually touch, it’s a clip there’s not enough.
‘Mudryk goes down theatrically. It’s the right decision by him, and I’m glad he had the hearsay (sic) go to the monitor and stick to his guns.’
Crouch was full of agreement, suggesting that Mudryk ‘initiated’ the contact, but that the referee was right to make his ‘brave’ call.
‘It’s brave from the referee, quite often when they go over there you think they’re automatically going to give it,’ he added.
‘I thought he came to the right decision there I don’t think there was enough. Mudryk put his shoe into his shin and initiates it. It wasn’t enough for a penalty and well done to the referee.’
The game also saw the home fans hold up a banner aimed at their visitors on Thursday evening.
‘Let’s get Brexit done. Send Chelsea home tonight,’ it read in English, held across the entire width of the pitch.
Heidenheim fans held up another which read, ‘God Save the King,’ in front of a depiction of their manager Frank Schmidt wearing a crown.
The two clubs had both enjoyed positive starts to their respective Europa Conference League campaigns ahead of the clash in south Germany, with both taking three wins from three before kick-off.
Enzo Maresca and Co are considered one of the favourites to go all the way this season, boasting arguably the strongest squad in the competition – so strong that Cole Palmer was not registered in a bit to preserve his fitness long term.
