In a match that had fans on the edge of their seats, Germany secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against France in an international friendly. However, the post-match discussion has been dominated by a highly unusual penalty incident involving a hair-pulling controversy.
The decisive moment came in the 89th minute when German defender Maximilian Mittelstädt appeared to pull the hair of French forward Randal Kolo Muani inside the penalty area. Despite vehement protests from the French team, referee Jesús Gil Manzano waved play on, leaving Les Bleus fuming.
The Controversial Moment
Video replays clearly showed Mittelstädt grabbing a handful of Kolo Muani's distinctive dreadlocks as both players challenged for the ball. Football's governing body IFAB specifically outlawed hair-pulling as an automatic penalty offence in 2021, making the non-call particularly puzzling.
French captain Kylian Mbappé was seen remonstrating with officials after the final whistle, while manager Didier Deschamps called the incident "clear as day" in his post-match interview.
Match Highlights
The game itself was an entertaining affair between two European heavyweights:
- Florian Wirtz opened scoring for Germany in the 7th minute with a clinical finish
- Mbappé equalised for France just before half-time with a trademark composed strike
- Kai Havertz netted the winner in the 83rd minute from a well-worked team move
Both managers used the friendly to experiment with lineups ahead of this summer's European Championship, with several fringe players given opportunities to impress.
Post-Match Fallout
The hair-pulling incident has sparked debate among pundits and fans alike. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told reporters: "Under current laws, this should have been a penalty without question. The officials have missed a clear infringement."
German coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted his team "got lucky" with the decision but pointed to other controversial moments that went against his side during the match.
With both nations among the favourites for Euro 2024, this fiery encounter has set the stage for what could be an explosive tournament when these footballing giants next meet.
