With a smile on his face, Tobias Krull chatted about the football day of his life, the dream of every amateur referee – but at some point the 32-year-old wanted to quickly go to the bar. “Now I would like to have another cold beer and that End the day,” said Krull after suddenly being in the spotlight.
Because assistant referee Thorben Siewer was hit by the ball in the head during an attempt to clear the game between VfL Wolfsburg and 1. FC Köln (1:1) in the early stages and even had to go to hospital, Nicolas Winter stepped in for him – actually intended as fourth official. But who should take over his job? The stadium announcer quickly asked the “amateur referees” among the spectators in the Wolfsburg Arena to come forward and step in as fourth official.
“Should get in touch”
Krull, sporting director and goalkeeper at the regional league club MTV Gifhorn, was ready immediately. “The clothes half fit and were a little tight,” he said with a smile, but he apparently wasn’t excited. “I didn’t have time to think about it anyway. Changing clothes – and then it started,” said Krull about the strange situation: “Honestly, whether you whistle in the district class or have a job here – you do it neutrally and try to do it in the best possible way and lead the game. It was the same here. I was in after five minutes.”
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In his youth, Krull himself played for the “Wolves” and, according to his own statement, ran up the infamous “Mountain of Sorrows” with master coach Felix Magath. He never made it to the top as a player, but now, 14 years later, at least as a referee. So the circle is somehow closing,” said Krull, who works as a sales consultant at a large car dealership, and added with a smile: “If there is a need again, they should get in touch.”
And the knocked out Thorben Sieber? He was able to leave the hospital in Wolfsburg on Sunday and was taken home to North Rhine-Westphalia by a VfL transport service. According to the circumstances, he is doing well, said Bundesliga referee Christian Dingert in the TV program “Doppelpass” on the Sport1 channel.