VfB Stuttgart can rely on its captain on Sunday. The DFB sports court has lifted the yellow-red ban against Atakan Karazor.
Had to leave the field early in Wolfsburg: Atakan Karazor.
IMAGO/RHR photo
VfB Stuttgart had to grudgingly accept the 2-2 draw at VfL Wolfsburg, but the reigning runners-up successfully defended themselves against a ban for their captain. Atakan Karazor, who was incorrectly sent off with a yellow-red card against Wolves on Saturday when the score was 1-1, will avoid the usual one-game ban.
After VfB lodged an objection against the traffic light card on behalf of Karazor the next day, the DFB sports court decided on Tuesday not to ban Karazor. He is therefore eligible to play in the Bundesliga home game against TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday (7.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker), although the first yellow card given in this game remains.
Referee Sven Jablonski had shown Karazor a yellow-red card after a duel with Maximilian Arnold in the 63rd minute, even though the Wolfsburg player had hit the Stuttgart player worthy of a yellow card, and admitted his mistake afterwards. The VfB therefore referred to paragraph 11 of the DFB’s legal and procedural rules, according to which an objection to a yellow-red suspension is only permissible “if an obvious error on the part of the referee is proven” and this objection must be submitted by 10 a.m. on the next working day received in writing.
DFB admits “erroneous decision”.
According to the sports court, all of this was the case: “After the report of referee Sven Jablonski and the inspection of the television images, it is clear to the DFB sports court that the Wolfsburg player Arnold actually fouled the Stuttgart player in the duel, while Karazor himself did not commit any offense had committed,” is the DFB’s justification.
There was therefore an “erroneous decision by the referee” which was “objectively incorrect without any doubt”. “In this exceptional case, the imposed sanction can be lifted in accordance with Paragraph 11 No. 3 of the DFB’s legal and procedural rules.” However, an appeal can be lodged against the single judge’s decision within 24 hours.
Jablonski didn’t have the opportunity to watch the scene again in Wolfsburg because the VAR protocol only allows for red cards. Despite being outnumbered, VfB quickly fell behind, but saved a point in stoppage time thanks to Deniz Undav.
