Referee admits mistake as Elversberg coach cleared to take his place on the bench against Bayern Munich

Suspension overturned

Elversberg head coach Vincent Wagner, 40, will after all be allowed to manage his side from the touchline in Sunday's match against Bayern Munich. The German Football Association's Sports Court, chaired by Stefan Oberholz, overturned the red card shown to him and the automatic ban that followed it. The court described the ruling as an "absolute exception," possible only because the referee himself acknowledged his mistake. Elversberg had initially appealed unsuccessfully before a second appeal succeeded.

Wagner's red card came during Elversberg's win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, after he had already picked up a first yellow card for lingering on the pitch following a disputed goal, then showed frustration towards the officials before half-time. Referee Martin Petersen, joining the hearing by video link, said: "I later felt my reaction wasn't appropriate. I wouldn't make that decision again. Maybe I was overly sensitive and misjudged the situation." As reported by Goal.com, Wagner responded: "I'm happy that justice has been done."

A surprise package

Newly promoted Elversberg, a town of just over 13,000 residents, has made a striking start to the season, winning both of its opening two matches — 3-2 against Bayer Leverkusen and 4-3 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The side has already conceded six goals this season, but according to reports no other Bundesliga team has scored more than its seven.

Bayern searching for form

Bayern Munich opened the season with a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart but was held to a 0-0 draw by Schalke last weekend — the first time since matchday two of 2024-25 that Bayern did not sit top of the table heading into a round. That result marked the first of Vincent Kompany's last 60 competitive matches in charge in which his side failed to score from open play in the final third. In midweek, however, Bayern thrashed Bodø/Glimt 5-0 in the Champions League, with goals from Jamal Musiala, Harry Kane, Alphonso Davies and a brace from Michael Olise. Kompany said he was relishing a new challenge: "Elversberg are more about possession and solutions with the ball, Schalke more about counter-pressing and transitions. We take every game seriously." Winger Serge Gnabry's fitness remained uncertain after he missed the Bodø/Glimt game, though Kompany expressed hope he could feature.

Match statistics

According to BBC data from the fixture, Bayern dominated possession (83% to 17%) and created more chances, registering four shots to Elversberg's none, along with 113 passes compared to Elversberg's 24.