Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann unhappy that Turkey was given a penalty

Whining about the right call from the referees isn’t a good look.

• By
  
  Grumpy_Opa_Takes
  
• on November 19, 2023 3:15 am

Germany played a disappointing match resulting in a loss to a high-flying Turkish side that has recently qualified for the Euros and sits at the top of their qualification group.

Former Bayern Munich manager and current Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann made some experimental choices tactically for the game, including the use of Kai Havertz as a left wing-back. Following such a defeat, one might expect Nagelsmann to reevaluate what worked, and more importantly, what didn’t, and try to move forward from there.

Nagelsmann instead tried to claim that Turkey’s winning goal shouldn’t have counted because, in the handball leading to the penalty, “Kai’s movement was natural.” Nagelsmann continued by saying, “That’s not a penalty. The rule is a bit stricter internationally than in the Bundesliga.” (via
@iMiaSanMia)

The argument about “natural” or “unnatural” is always an interesting one because the only way for a player to have their arm in an unnatural position is if it is physically broken. While it seems that Havertz’s blocking of the ball was unintentional, when a player is in the box and their arm is the only thing stopping the ball from progressing, it always has to be a penalty.

The only case when this is not true is if the player is falling, which Havertz was not, and their supporting arm is blocking the ball, although the ruling on this situation changes depending on the competition.

Interested in a more in-depth look at what went wrong for Germany, or do you just want to revel in our misery? Well, either way, our podcast has you covered. In our newest episode, we discuss Germany’s humiliating loss to Turkey and also take a minute to discuss whether Alphonso Davies will stay at Bayern Munich. Listen to it below or
on Spotify.

As always, we appreciate all the support!

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