Diaz loses red-card appeal despite referee saying call was wrong

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich has lost an appeal against Luis Díaz’s one-game ban for a sending-off in the Bundesliga, even though the referee admitted his decision wasn’t the right call.

Díaz was sent off after a second yellow card for diving in Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, in which he also scored Bayern’s only goal.

As a yellow card offense, it wasn’t subject to video review. After viewing a replay in a postgame TV interview with Sky Sport Germany, Christian Dingert said he had missed contact between Díaz and goalkeeper Janis Blaswich and added: “The second yellow card is very harsh and when I see the images now, I wouldn’t give it that way any more.”

That wasn’t enough for the German soccer association’s sports court to overturn the automatic one-game ban for a sending-off, however.

Court chairman Stephan Oberholz ruled Monday that Dingert’s comments weren’t relevant and that it wasn’t a “completely wrong” call because Díaz had been seeking contact with the opposition goalkeeper.

“The decisive factor is that the incident constitutes a decision of fact which can only be corrected if it is gravely, clearly and without any doubt objectively incorrect. That is not the case here,” he said in a statement.

Díaz is due to serve the ban against Union Berlin on Saturday. Bayern can appeal the ruling.

Bayern has other squad concerns after three injuries in its 6-1 win over Atalanta last week in the Champions League.

Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala were both out of action Saturday as a result, and a series of injuries to goalkeepers has made 16-year-old Leonard Prescott an option for the return game at home to Atalanta on Wednesday.

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