During a presentation of World Cup experts for MagentaTV, Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Müller engaged in an amusing verbal sparring match.
The two personalities revisited the 2013 Champions League final between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund while discussing the legendary referee Pierluigi Collina.
Klopp pointed towards Mats Hummels, who was also present, asserting that Collina had appointed the referee who ‘gifted Bayern the 2013 Champions League final.’ Hummels played for Borussia Dortmund under Klopp at the time.
The match, taking place at the peak of the rivalry between the two Bundesliga giants approximately 13 years ago, famously ended 2-1 in favor of FC Bayern. According to Klopp and many others, referee Nicola Rizzoli made a crucial error: he failed to show a second yellow card, which would have resulted in a red, to Bayern defender Dante after his foul on Marco Reus, which led to a penalty and Ilkay Gündogan’s equalizer for BVB.
Müller immediately interjected, stating, ‘You don’t have to give that.’ He tried to enlist Hummels, who has played for both clubs, as an ally: ‘Mats himself once told me that for him, it was actually okay for it to remain a yellow card.’ But Hummels, now a professional for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, mischievously let Müller down, explaining with a grin: ‘From a defender’s perspective, I would say you have to give a red.’
Müller Would Have Sent Off Ribéry Sooner
Müller, on the other hand, suggested he would have shown a red card against his own team in a different scenario. He alluded to Franck Ribéry’s alleged elbow on Robert Lewandowski – who was then still with BVB – in the early stages of the match. With a wide grin, he added: ‘But that’s about discretion. We don’t want to ruin the final, after all.’
Klopp then recalled an encounter with Collina. As Collina walked through the catacombs of legendary Wembley after the game, Klopp claimed he yelled at him, ‘You appointed a nice jerk there!’ Müller, quick-witted as ever, countered, ‘No, no, his name was Rizzoli, not ‘jerk’.’ Klopp laughed in disbelief: ‘He remembers referees!’
Hummels added cheekily, ‘If they whistle in your favor, you remember names, right?’ However, Müller had the last word before the topic concluded: ‘No, he was a very good referee at a world-class level.’
The trio – Klopp, Müller, and Hummels – is expected to provide more entertaining moments during the upcoming World Cup. Other MagentaTV experts include former national player Tabea Kemme, Manuel Baum, Sebastian Kneißl, and Tobias Schweinsteiger.
FC Bayern vs. BVB: Lineups and Goal Scorers in the 2013 CL Final
| Goals | Lineup FC Bayern | Lineup BVB |
|---|---|---|
| 1:0 Mandzukic (60.), 1:1 Gündogan (68., pen.), 2:1 Robben (89.) | Neuer — Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba — Martinez, Schweinsteiger — Robben, Müller, Ribery (90.+1 Gustavo) — Mandzukic (90.+4 Gomez) | Weidenfeller — Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer — S. Bender (90.+2 Sahin), Gündogan — Blaszczykowski (90. Schieber), Reus, Grosskreutz — Lewandowski |