Kasper Hjulmand initially remained very calm in the interview with ZDF. He congratulated Germany on their victory and paid tribute to the team for a strong performance in the round of 16. But then Hjulmand’s comments slowly changed. “A disgrace,” the former Mainz 05 coach called the referee’s performance. And declared: “Those were two ridiculous decisions.”
Hjulmand: “Can this really be the undisputed truth?”
Decision 1 – the goal is not awarded: In the 48th minute, Joachim Andersen would have shot Denmark into the lead. But the TV picture shows: teammate Thomas Delaney was offside with the tip of his toe. With the help of the video assistant, the referee takes back the goal. Hjulmand took out his mobile phone and showed how close he was: “It’s difficult for us. We’re talking about a centimetre. Can this really be the undisputed truth? Is the technology that precise? This allows the playing time to be determined precisely. I have questions!”
Hjulmand 2: “We can’t play football without hands”
Decision 2 – the hand punishment: Immediately afterwards, non-scorer Andersen receives a cross from David Raum on his outstretched arm. Here too, the video assistant intervenes. There are sanctions. Hjulmand: “The handball – pfff. Without our hands we can’t play football. Plus the short distance.” The two “ridiculous decisions” were crucial for the match – “key decisions”.
Then Hjulmand quickly tried to praise Julian Nagelsmann and the German team. Then he steamed away.