"In case of a tie in the game"
In the heated Hamburg derby of the 2022 season, referee Christian Dingert found himself at the centre of controversy after a series of questionable decisions. The most notable mistake came in minute 25, when Dingert blew his whistle, halting a potential goal-scoring opportunity for St. Pauli.
The incident occurred as Mathias Pereira Lage, the St. Pauli striker, was about to walk the ball into an empty net after a successful fight-off by Andréas Hountondji. However, Dingert intervened, deeming it a foul, despite there being no visible evidence of a foul to anyone else in the stadium.
This decision, which prevented St. Pauli from scoring a sure 2:0 goal, was a significant error that potentially affected the outcome of the game. The pattern of questionable decisions continued throughout the match, with Dingert failing to consult the VAR, a service that existed during the game.
Another contentious moment came in minute 58, when a potential goal for St. Pauli was awarded as a goal kick instead of a corner, despite a deflection by Jordan Torunarigha and a possible handball check by the VAR.
HSV felt that a foul by Arkadiusz Pyrka on Nicolás Capaldo (54.) could have been a red card, but it was only punished with a yellow. In contrast, minute 76 saw Danel Sinani being taken out from behind without a whistle from the referee while clean through on goal.
Despite these controversies, St. Pauli coach Alexander Blessin expressed his calmness about the victory due to Dingert's admission of error after the game. Blessin suggested that the VAR should be used properly to avoid such mistakes in future games.
The refereeing in Hamburg derbies has long been a point of contention, with the referees often only being suited for the top tier of referees. Last year's 1:0 win for HSV in the second division saw Matthias Jöllenbeck have a poor game. The referee before Christian Dingert, who officiated the derby this season, was Manuel Gräfe.
As the dust settles on this year's derby, the focus shifts to improving refereeing standards in future matches to ensure a fair and enjoyable game for all involved.
