Roger Schmidt and Bas Nijhuis will meet each other for the first time in the Eredivisie on Sunday. The KNVB has appointed the arbitrator for the top match between PSV and Feyenoord in the Philips Stadium, with 2.30 pm as the starting time. It is the first time that both gentlemen have met each other since the controversial quarrel during and after the game between PSV and Sparta Rotterdam (3-5) in mid-January.
Schmidt accused Nijhuis almost two months ago of deliberately whistling against PSV and the German coach even said that the experienced referee would have said this explicitly. “The referee said after the game today that he was whistling against us because I had criticized him after Vitesse,” Schmidt said in January. ESPNreporter Pascal Kamperman could hardly believe his ears and immediately asked whether Nijhuis really said that. “Yes. He did it on purpose, because I had criticized him after Vitesse. That is not at all okay”, emphasized the firm Schmidt, who further found Nijhuis’ behavior ‘one hundred percent’ unprofessional.
Schmidt’s harsh words after Sparta-PSV came as a total surprise to Nijhuis. “”What? That I deliberately whistled at him? Sow, well, then you can see what trainers make of it, huh. I really have to laugh, because this is really complete nonsense of course. Didn’t you make that up yourself, did he really say that? A trainer is simply judged on his behavior, if he does this a few times with the fourth man, then I just give a yellow card “, it sounded in an interview with ESPN. Schmidt later also stated that he never had to speak to Nijhuis again in his life.
Schmidt’s harsh criticism of Nijhuis led to an investigation by the public prosecutor. The PSV coach was eventually suspended for two games, one of which was suspended. He missed PSV’s away match against FC Emmen (0-2) and then returned to the bench with the Eindhoven team on 31 January. His team lost 3-1 against Feyenoord that day, again the opponent of the number two in the Eredivisie on Sunday.
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