Hoffenheim are set to protest against a
freak goal awarded to Bayer Leverkusen
when Stefan Kiessling headed the ball
through a hole in the side of the net.
Referee Felix Brych failed to spot that
Kiessling's header flew wide of the post in the
70th minute of Leverkusen's 2-1 Bundesliga
win on Friday.
Hoffenheim managing director Alexander
Rosen said: "It's a scandal.
"That was no goal, there are no two ways
about it. We are definitely going to protest."
Brych, a Fifa referee, said that no player had
indicated it was not a goal.
"I had a slight doubt but the reaction from the
players was clear - nobody was against [the
decision]," Brych said.
"I checked with Kiessling. But no-one, not
even him, said that it wasn't a goal. The ball
was in the net and for everyone on the pitch it
was a legitimate goal."
In April 1994, Bayern Munich beat Nuremburg
2-1 after defender Thomas Helmer was
awarded a goal despite the ball not going in.
Nuremburg lodged a complaint, and Germany's
Football Association ordered a replay, which
Bayern won 5-0 on their way to clinching the
title.
Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol said: "It's
definitely bitter for us and something like this
has already happened once, and that game was
replayed so I think we're going to see this
game again.
"Anything else would be a joke. You can't
replay a Bayern Munich game, but not a
Hoffenheim game."
Kiessling said: "I didn't really see it, I turned
away but I was surprised to see the ball in. I
didn't know how it got in."
Several Hoffenheim substitutes raced behind
the goal to examine the netting and appeared
to try to point out Brych's error. But the
referee was by then powerless to overrule his
original decision.
Rudi Voller, Leverkusen's sporting director,
said: "That's not how we wanted to win the
game. The fair result would have been a 2-2."
Leverkusen were leading through Sidney Sam's
26th-minute opener when the controversy
happened.
Germany international Kiessling headed a
corner wide of the near post, and could be
seen turning away in frustration before Brych
awarded the goal.
The referee then awarded Hoffenheim a
generous penalty when Roberto Firmino was
fouled a foot outside the penalty area. But
Firmino's spot-kick was saved.
Sven Schipplock pulled a goal back for
Hoffenheim two minutes from the end, but
they could not save a point and fell to their
first home defeat of the season.
Brych, who refereed England's 3-2 friendly win
over Scotland at Wembley in August, sent off
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic
during a 2-0 Champions League defeat away to
Romanian side Otelul Galati in October 2011.
The win took Sami Hyypia's side top, although
Bayern Munich can overtake them by beating
Mainz on Saturday.
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