UCL: Thomas Muller Appears to Say Referees ‘Cheat’ for Real Madrid, Cites Cristiano Ronaldo Example

• Thomas Muller has called out referee Szymon Marciniak and his crew
• He believes the officials were biased in ruling out Bayern's late goal
• The German even cited a Cristiano Ronaldo incident to back his claim

Thomas Muller appears to suggest that Real Madrid benefited from favourable refereeing decisions after Bayern Munich's exit from the UEFA Champions League.

The Bundesliga giants, aiming to salvage their season with a trophy, were thwarted by Madrid in the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition amidst controversy.

Following an intense 2-2 draw in the first leg, the clash between two European powerhouses was reignited at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a coveted spot in the final at stake.

Bayern struck first through Alphonso Davies in the 68th minute, seemingly seizing control of the match. However, Madrid conjured yet another European comeback.

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According to MARCA, substitute Joselu netted twice in the dying moments, flipping the game in favour of Los Blancos.

But the narrative took a turn when Matthijs de Ligt's goal was disallowed amid contentious circumstances.

The linesman raised the flag before the ball crossed the line, nullifying the goal before a VAR review could take place.

The referee's decision ignited fury on the Bayern bench, with head coach Thomas Tuchel notably animated in his response.

Thomas Muller calls out biased referees

After the game, Muller, who assisted de Ligt on his disallowed goal, openly criticised Polish referee Szymon Marciniak and his assistants.

"Marciniak? He did not watch the video. He did not give himself the opportunity to look at it," he told RMC Sport, as quoted by Euro Foot.

The German attacker took it a step further by implying that Real Madrid often receives favourable treatment, particularly at the Bernabeu.

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"It's really strange, in such a situation, to whistle so fast. This often happens here in Madrid."

He even referenced an incident from the 2016–17 season when Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice from what appeared to be an offside position during a quarter-final match at the same venue.

"I experienced this a few years ago, with two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo. But it was before the VAR."

Thomas Tuchel blasts referees after UCL exit

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that Thomas Tuchel didn't mince words about his dissatisfaction with referee Szymon Marciniak, especially after Bayern Munich's controversial exit from the Champions League.

In what turned out to be his last Champions League match as Bayern manager, Tuchel openly criticised the officiating, describing the situation as an 'absolute disaster'.