Manuel Baum admits using calculated protest during Augsburg draw with Bayer Leverkusen

Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum acknowledged that his heated touchline protest during Saturday’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Bayer Leverkusen was a calculated attempt to force a VAR review. Baum received a yellow card from referee Daniel Siebert after protesting an apparent goal by Ibrahim Maza, which followed a sequence where Jarell Quansah allegedly fouled Hennes Behrens. The official subsequently reviewed the incident and disallowed the goal. While Baum stated that speaking up is part of the game, he stopped short of claiming credit for the overturned call. Augsburg ultimately surrendered a lead after Patrik Schick equalized in the 89th minute. The result leaves Augsburg unbeaten through three matches with seven points, though they have slipped from the top of the table as Freiburg takes over the league lead.

• 11:35 AMYahoo Sports — Augsburg’s Manuel Baum admits calculated VAR protest: “Sometimes one needs to create a dramatic scene.”