A football match in 2. Bundesliga, between Preussen Munster and Hertha Berlin, ending 2-1 with a defeat for the home team Munster, was the target of a "sabotage", when a masked man unplugged the VAR monitor in the pitch, preventing the referee to check a penalty award.
The incident happened at the end of the first half. VAR official Katrin Rafalski called the field referee Felix Bickel to check a potential penalty for Hertha. But the monitor screen did not work. After deliberation, it was decided that the decision of the VAR room would stay, and a penalty was given to Hertha, converted into the first goal of the match. Hertha later won the match with a goal in the 93rd minute.
Preussen Munster later said that it was a masked spectator, from the fan section, who unplugged the monitor, entering illegally onto the pitch. "Preussen Munster regrets the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice", said the club, adding that measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents.
According to local media, it was a planned action, with the fans displaying a banner reading "Pull the plug on VAR".