Kohfeldt critical: “Will weigh on relationship

Florian Kohfeldt is critical of the introduction of yellow and red cards against coaches from the new season. “I am convinced that it will burden the relationship between coaches and referees,” the Werder coach told the Spiegel. “More communication would have a positive effect on the benches, but the new regulation will reduce communication and fuel some situations.”

Kohfeldt sees great difficulties for the referees. “They must always distinguish exactly which coaching emotions apply to their own team, which to an unlucky game leadership of the referees. And the coaches can’t let all their emotions be taken away. They are part of good coaching,” said the 36-year-old, who recently extended his contract in Bremen until 2023.

Kohfeldt’s trainer colleague Julian Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig had recently hit the same notch. “I think that you have to appeal to humanity and not regulate everything with punishments. It’s not in the spirit of a coach sitting in the stands every fourth game just because he’s emotional,” he said on the sidelines of the International Coaches’ Congress in Kassel.

Yellow and red tickets for coaches are possible from the start of the season according to a March decision of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) responsible for football rules. The German Football League (DFL) will decide on this in Berlin on 21 August.