‘To be honest, I didn’t understand what he was doing’ — Bayern Munich star slams ref after elimination by PSG

MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 6: Josip Stanisic of Bayern Munich & team-mates protest to Referee Joao Pinheiro during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between FC Bayern Munchen and Paris Saint-Germain at Football Arena Munich on May 6, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) | Getty Images While some Bayern Munich players did not want to address a questionable performance from referee Joao Pinheiro, defender Josip Stanišić had no issues telling everyone exactly how he felt after the 1-1 draw vs. Paris Saint-Germain, which sent the Bavarians packing from the Champions League by virtue of a 6-5 score on aggregate.

“To be honest, I didn’t understand what he was doing. I think he was a bit overwhelmed himself. But at the end of the day, the referee wasn’t the reason we didn’t win today.

We simply didn’t deserve to go through. The coach told us we were close but it wasn’t meant to be. The goal remains the same next year: to win the Champions League,” Stanišić (as captured by @iMiaSanMia ).

It would be hard to dispute any of what Stanišić said even if the portion about the referee could be conceived as bitter or even petty. Regardless of any of that, the Croatia international hit on the main factor of the game — Bayern Munich did not perform up to its potential and was eliminated by the better team. If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast , Spotify , Apple , or any leading podcast distributor… Join the conversation!