Monday, August 9, 2021 at 3:08 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 15:22

Ajax has accepted a settlement proposal from the KNVB for a suspension of Nicolás Tagliafico. The club agrees to a three-match suspension, one of which is conditional. As a result, Tagliafico misses the Eredivisie matches against NEC (home) and FC Twente (away). He can be back at home against Vitesse on August 29.

The Argentinian received his red card shortly before half-time in the match for the Johan Cruijff Scale with PSV. He made a tackle on André Ramalho and was sent off by referee Björn Kuipers. Tagliafico first lost the game to Philipp Mwene on the stroke of half-time and then came straight in on Ramalho out of frustration, who was hit hard on the ankle. Referee Björn Kuipers waited with his decision and gave red after consultation with the VAR.

Tagliafico’s foul on Ramalho can be seen from minute 4:17.

By analyst Kenneth Perez of ESPN were questioned about the red card. “Is that tackle really that bad considering the game?” he wondered. “Is this very high, is it with the studs first?” Perez then mentioned that in the scuffle that followed after his tackle, Tagliafico also handed a kind of headbutt to Marco van Ginkel. Still, the red card decision seemed to have been made solely on the basis of his charge on Ramalho.

Arnold Bruggink thought it was red. “I think so. You see Kuipers waiting. He did not make this decision himself, but really based on the VAR,” he said during the break of the match. Erik ten Hag was disappointed by his pupil’s red card. “We played well, we can continue with that. But you have to stay with eleven men.”