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They had taken a lot of money into their hands for their circumstances.

A full 20,000 euros.

This is how much it had cost the fourth division club Rot-Weiss Essen to provide the technical requirements to be able to play the quarter-final match in the DFB Cup against Holstein Kiel at home.

In concrete terms, this meant: RWE had to enable the use of the video assistant (VAR), for which around 20 cameras are required.

But of all things, the VAR caused a lot of frustration at RWE in the bitter cup break against Kiel (0: 3).

For trouble.

For lack of understanding.

"This is the clearest non-penalty kick of all time," ranted RWE CEO Marcus Uhlig about the scene in the 26th minute, in which Kiel's Finn Porath was almost on the ground when Dennis Grote touched him.

Referee Markus Schmidt had nevertheless immediately pointed to the point - contrary to what was originally planned, video assistant Robert Hartmann did not intervene.

Alexander Mühling converted the penalty kick to guide the guests.

The beginning of the end for the fourth division club from Essen.

Janni Serra (28th) and Joshua Mees (88th) provided the other goals from Kiel.

"Treat you like a schoolboy"

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“We get instructions from the DFB for weeks here,” Uhlig exclaimed: “It costs 20,000 euros and more to set up the technology just for this game.

And what for?

So that they sleep in the cabin? ”When he tried to talk to the fourth official during the break, he was“ arrogantly dismissed from above, ”said Uhlig:“ They treat you like a schoolboy.

You think you're the little boy from the fourth division. "

The 50-year-old is not afraid of a possible punishment for his statements - he had already spoken of a "huge scandal" at the break.

“I didn't offend anyone,” he said, “and even if I did, I don't care.

Because that's just bad from the DFB.

And you have to talk about that. "

Uhlig had pointed out to Sky that the VAR was there to correct wrong decisions - “and all the more blatant.

We have now looked up and down the scene six times and cannot see any contact, let alone something criminal. "