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    Dortmund CEO Watzke Expresses Outrage at Referee Makkeli After UCL Elimination

    Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has accused referee Danny Mackeley of arrogance for awarding a penalty kick at the club’s Champions League exit at Chelsea.

    A Bundesliga team slipped out of Europe after failing to build on their 1-0 opening leg lead at Stamford Bridge and a 2-0 loss that evening meant a 2-1 aggregate loss to the hosts at the Premier -league.

    Chelsea’s ultimate winner came with Kai Havertz’s penalty kick, but only when Makkeli allowed the striker to go over him with an encroachment after he missed his first try.

    However, Watzke felt that the Dutch referee was guilty of arrogant decision-making behavior and suggested that the tumultuous home atmosphere swayed his intuitive decisions too easily.

    “You always had a bad feeling that he wanted to be the most important person on the field,” he told SID.

    “He really liked his gestures, his facial expressions. [to perform to the crowd].

    “Instinct was a foreign word to him. We lost control of the game too early and congratulations to Chelsea. They deserve to pass.

    “But the decision to repeat the penalty was very controversial and the original call itself was a 50-50 decision. There is no doubt about that.”

    Chelsea were initially awarded a penalty after VAR interfered due to a handball violation by Dortmund defender Marius Wolff.

    Havertz hit the right post on the first try, but McKelley allowed him to recapture it after replays showed players from both teams invading the box.

    Watzke was far from the only Dortmund figure to voice his dissatisfaction with the decision, and Jude Bellingham also expressed his disappointment after the game.

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