Overview
- Matches in the second round proceeded without VAR under the DFB’s policy to start video review from the Achtelfinale.
- Bayern’s equalizer by Luis Díaz in Cologne counted despite an apparent offside, with further disputed calls cited in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Heidenheim, and St. Pauli.
- FC Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said referees have grown reliant on VAR support, making decision-making harder without it in heated games.
- Cologne coach Lukas Kwasniok compared VAR to a navigation system that can erode referees’ ability to judge independently when it is removed.
- DFB refereeing chief Knut Kircher previously acknowledged VAR interventions have strayed beyond the four formal categories, prompting calls for clearer limits and earlier Pokal deployment.