German Stadium Announcer Blasts Ref, DFB Fumes

DFB slams stadium announcer's outburst against ref

German Football Association slams stadium announcer's criticism of referee Daniel Siebert during Cologne-Dortmund match. Michael Trippel sparks controversy with loudspeaker comments on VAR decisions in Bundesliga game.

DFB disapproves of Cologne announcer's “shameful, disgusting” remarks about referee...

A stadium announcer in Germany is in hot water after blasting a referee over the loudspeaker during Cologne's match against Borussia Dortmund. The German Football Association (DFB) is fuming, saying, “We strongly disapprove of these remarks and consider them unacceptable.”

The controversy erupted when Michael Trippel, the Cologne stadium announcer, criticized a decision, prompting the DFB to slam his comments. “Regardless of whether a referee's decision is correct, controversial, or wrong, it is simply not acceptable for a stadium announcer to criticize it and stir up the crowd against an official. While we understand the emotional nature of football, a clear line was crossed here,” the DFB's Sporting Management said.

The stadium announcer, Michael Trippel, went off-script during the Cologne-Dortmund match, saying “Shameful, disgusting” after a red card was given to Cologne's Jahmai Simpson-Pusey via VAR.

Things escalated when Dortmund's Yan Couto handled the ball without a VAR check, prompting Trippel to say: “I’ll get in trouble, but I’ll say it: In stoppage time, there was a clear handball by a Dortmund player, and nobody even bothered to check it.”

Cologne's sporting director Thomas Kessler distanced himself from Trippel's comments, saying “I don’t like that.” He's planning to address the issue with Trippel, earning nods from the German FA.

🚨 DFB wird gegen Stadionsprecher Michael Trippel ermitteln! @fckoeln

Den 71-jährigen Kölner könnte eine Strafe erwarten. Seit mehr als 40 Jahren ist er aktiv in der Fanarbeit für den 1. FC Köln.

Artikel 43 des UEFA-Sicherheitsreglement wird im DFB-Stadionsprecher Handbuch… https://t.co/KEEareHrzJ pic.twitter.com/39Viq8EzOE

— jasko 🇧🇦 (@jasko1948) March 7, 2026

The German federation also addressed the controversial incident at the end with Yan Couto, stating that a VAR intervention would have been appropriate. “Although Yan Couto’s view of the ball was limited because Cologne’s Bülter, positioned right in front of him, jumped and narrowly missed the ball, the ball was still predictable for the Dortmund player due to the distance, especially since its direction didn’t change. Furthermore, Yan Couto’s arm was away from his body. For these reasons, we believe there was enough to consider the handball punishable, and a VAR intervention would have been appropriate,” the statement read.