Linesman Apologizes to Furious Tuchel for 'Disastrous' Offside Decision in Defeat to Real Madrid

After losing a Champions League match against Real Madrid, Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich's boss voiced his frustration about an ill-timed offside decision that he saw as disastrous and labeled as a 'betrayal'. Trailing closely to victory at the Bernabeu, Bayern had geared up for an all-German final against Borussia Dortmund, only to have their dreams trampled by Joselu scoring twice for Madrid during stoppage time, and bringing Real forward on a 4-3 aggregate win.

Adding to their painful domestic season, this defeat ensures Bayern will finish without a single trophy and denies Tuchel the opportunity to claim the Champions League trophy in his final match at the helm. The officials further incurred Tuchel's wrath as he believed their handling of moments crucial to the Bayern side contributed significantly to their loss at the Bernabeu.

Despite being ahead, they had more than ten minutes of extra time to survive after Madrid went in front. Their attack was weakened with Harry Kane, Leroy Sane, and Jamal Musiala all substituted.

Konrad Laimer could have turned the tide but fell short due to a premature call offside that halted the play before his goal attempt. Antonio Rudiger looks likely to have kept the Bayern players onside from the replays, but with the whistle blown before a VAR check, the offside decision stood irrevocably. Tuchel expressed deep dissatisfaction with the referee's decision to stop the play before the VAR check, considering it against the rules and a harsh blow.

What followed was an apology from the linesman for their questionable decision in the final minutes of the match. However, for Tuchel, this apology falls short of making amends for the drastic turn of events caused by their bad call. As per him, the linesman's decision and the subsequent whistle from the referee, both were colossal mistakes, driving the entire game into a disastrous finale.