Kenneth Perez lashes out hard at Kevin Blom on Twitter on Wednesday evening. The Dutch arbiter decided as VAR to call referee Georgi Kabakov to the side for a possible penalty for Sevilla in the game against VfL Wolfsburg. According to Perez, that was a completely ridiculous decision. “Don’t make fun of yourself in the Champions League, stick to the Eredivisie,” Perez writes on Twitter.
Wolfsburg seemed on his way to victory, but had to swallow the equalizer five minutes before the end. Josuha Guilavogui hit Erik Lamela’s leg after kicking the ball and was surprised to see referee Georgi Kabakov called to the screen by VAR Kevin Blom. The Bulgarian referee penalized the Wolfsburg defender’s action with his second yellow card and a penalty kick, as a result of which Van Bommel’s team saw the victory slip through the hands.
Don’t make fun of yourself in the @ChampionsLeague – stick to the @eredivisie #bloom
— Kenneth Perez (@kennethperez10) September 29, 2021
In ‘s studio Ziggo Sports Rafael van der Vaart also reacts full of incomprehension. “We often talk about referees who have not played football themselves, but you do not have to have played football for this,” says Van der Vaart. “What are you doing as VAR? That boy just taps the ball away with his point. You do that with a straight leg. He also holds back at the end.”
Van der Vaart sees a still image in which Guilavogui’s studs seem to briefly touch Lamela’s shin. “But that’s not the time at all,” he emphasizes. “It is already a shame that the referee is called and goes to look. He is nevertheless influenced by that image and moment. Sure, that looks bad, but it has nothing to do with it. It’s really a shame. Incomprehensible. I think Blom is the main culprit.”
Arnold Bruggink also does not understand the controversial decision on Twitter. “That’s not a knock, man, what a shame,” Bruggink writes. Colleague Kees Kwakman is of the same opinion. “Kevin Blom is the VAR at Wolfsburg – Sevilla. How is it possible!”, he writes in disbelief. “You have to see it to believe it. It’s outrageous this ping for Sevilla.”