Masked football fan unplugs VAR monitor as ref sent to check penalty

The match occurred on Sunday

After Munster's Niko Koulis had appeared to bring down Michaël Cuisance in the penalty area, match official Felix Bickel was sent to review the incident, but was unable to do so after finding the nearby VAR screen blank and out of action.

It later emerged that a supporter had unplugged the technology, in an attempt at preventing the penalty being awarded.

Despite the fan's best attempts, the penalty was still awarded, by an assistant referee in the Cologne VAR video centre.

Speaking during the match, referee Felix Bickel said: "We reviewed a possible foul in the penalty area.

"My colleague Katrin Rafalski determined that Münster's number 24 clearly made contact with Cuisance's shin.

"Therefore, my final decision is: penalty kick.” DFB referee Rafalski (44) is working as a video assistant referee (VAR) during the match and makes the penalty decision from a distance," quoted by German outlet BILD.

The incident was later explained in a full statement from the home club.

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Munster's statement reads: "The referee was unable to review the incident using the VAR monitor in the stadium because a masked spectator from the active fan section illegally entered the pitch and unplugged the technical equipment.

"The penalty decision was ultimately made by video referee Katrin Rafalski in the VAR room in Cologne.

The club said they "regret the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice".

"Immediate measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future", and that initial findings "indicate that this was a planned action - a banner to that effect was displayed in the home section shortly after the technical malfunction," they added.