1. FC Köln has been issued a fine of €8,000 by the German Football Association (DFB) following an incident where stadium announcer Michael Trippel openly criticized Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions during the team’s 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.

Outburst During Dortmund Match

The incident occurred during the Bundesliga match on Saturday, where Trippel voiced his discontent with the officiating over the public address system. Following a VAR decision that resulted in a red card for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, he audibly described the call as “Widerlich” – disgusting. After the final whistle, he further expressed frustration over the officials’ failure to review a potential handball in the Dortmund penalty area, stating, “I’ll probably get into serious trouble, but I have to get this off my chest: In the 95th minute, there was a clear handball in the Dortmund penalty area, and nobody even looked at it.”

Club and DFB Response

The DFB launched an investigation immediately after the match. While acknowledging that there were grounds for a handball review, the governing body determined that a line had been crossed. The club’s sporting director, Thomas Kessler, criticized Trippel’s behavior as unacceptable for a stadium announcer.

“That is a thematic that I do not like. We do not want to evaluate the referee via the stadium announcer.”

Thomas Kessler, 1. FC Köln Sporting Director

Trippel, who has been the stadium announcer at RheinEnergie Stadion for over 25 years and a fan for 42, later apologized, stating his passion for the club led to the outburst. He added he would be more restrained in the future.

Penalty and Future Conduct

The DFB accepted the club’s agreement to the €8,000 fine. The DFB also mandated that 1. FC Köln explicitly point out to its stadium announcer in a suitable manner to refrain from unsportsmanlike statements, especially with regard to referees, referee decisions and other game participants, and to carry out stadium announcements exclusively with neutral content. Trippel will be under increased scrutiny from both the club and the DFB moving forward.

FAQ

• What was the fine issued to 1. FC Köln? The club was fined €8,000.
• Why was the fine issued? The fine was issued due to stadium announcer Michael Trippel’s public criticism of VAR decisions during a match.
• What did Michael Trippel say? He called a VAR decision “Widerlich” and complained about a missed handball call.