Bayern appeal against Luis Diaz red card rejected despite referee approval

Bayern Munich will be without Luis Diaz for their next Bundesliga game as the club’s attempt to overturn his red card gets knocked out.

Diaz was sent off for a perceived dive during Saturday’s draw with Bayer Leverkusen. Although replays showed clear contact, the DFB sports court ruled that the one-match suspension must stand.

The Colombian winger scored Bayern’s only goal of the match, but was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area.

Referee Christian Dingert, after reviewing replays during an interview with Sky Sport, conceded his error: “The second yellow card is very harsh and when I see the images now, I wouldn’t give it that way any more.”

Bayern moved quickly to appeal the automatic one-game ban, hoping Dingert’s public admission would see the sanction quashed.

However, the German Football Association (DFB) sports court ruled on Monday that the suspension must remain in place. The court decided the official’s post-match comments were not enough to override the decision of fact made on the pitch during the Bundesliga clash.

Luis Díaz goes down during the Bundesliga match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He was shown a second yellow for diving. (Photo by A. Scheuber/FC Bayern via Getty Images)

Explaining the refusal, court chairman Stephan Oberholz noted the incident did not meet the high threshold required for a retroactive change, arguing it was not a completely wrong call because Diaz had been seeking contact with the opposition goalkeeper.

Bayern will now be without Diaz as they continue to sweat on the fitness of several key players. Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala missed the Leverkusen draw due to injuries.