Fortuna Sittard is furious about the much-discussed VAR intervention on Saturday evening during the duel with SC Cambuur. The team of trainer Sjors Ultee thought they would score 0-2 in Leeuwarden via Charlison Benschop, but the video referee let Jannick van der Laan look at the images and the referee decided to the surprise of all Fortuna players to reject the goal, because a violation would have been committed prior to that hit. Not much later Cambuur came at 1-1 and fifteen minutes before the end the Frisians took the victory: 2-1. Zian Flemming thought it was ‘a great shame’ and Ultee didn’t mince words either.
Erwin Blank, the VAR on duty, pointed out to Van der Laan that Martin Angha put a block before the goal for Erik Schouten, who went to the ground as a result. Van der Laan had not observed the incident himself, but still disapproved of the 0-2 when he was alerted by the VAR and had viewed the images. The guide added ESPN admitted that he was surprised to be called. “He has no eye for the ball, only for his opponent. That’s why I whistle. I understand there is a lot of discussion. It’s also light, but I’m standing there in front of the screen… Then you have to make a decision.”
Fortuna Sittard’s disallowed goal can be seen from minute 0:19.
“You keep seeing the image that he only has eyes for his opponent and that he doesn’t even look where the ball is coming. You are not allowed to block an opponent, that is in the rules.” Nevertheless, Van der Laan acknowledged that very different actions could have been taken. “I think if we hadn’t intervened… It’s talking afterwards, but maybe we would have had a less extensive discussion. I don’t think I would have intervened as VAR.”
“I don’t know how much you can say about it before you get banned in this country… It’s a great shame,” Flemming emphasized. “I try not to moan at the referee, but when things happen that you can’t reach with your head… (…) We’ve done badly ourselves. It’s not the referee’s fault.” Ultee had nothing good to say about the whole course of events. “If Bas Nijhuis had whistled here, he would have walked away laughing or scolded the VAR. If this is no longer allowed, this is the whole idea of playing football.”
“It’s not like he punches him. There is no one in the world, not even the referee, who thinks this is a violation,” emphasized the trainer of the Limburgers. “It’s just that story of the VAR calling you again and mind fuck† I think it’s bad that the VAR calls him, but he doesn’t think either: Yes guys, what the hell am I looking at… That will come later. It should not distract, but this has been very decisive. No one from Cambuur protested at all, so the VAR must also think: I’m going to be an asshole if I call the referee now†
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | † | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 23 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 65 | 57 |
| 2 | PSV | 23 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 28 | 52 |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 23 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 51 |
| 4 | AZ | 23 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 45 |
| 5 | FC Twente | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 45 |
| 6 | Vitesse | 23 | 11 | 4 | 8 | -9 | 37 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 23 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 36 |
| 8 | SC Cambuur | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | -10 | 33 |
| 9 | NEC | 23 | 8 | 7 | 8 | -4 | 31 |
| 10 | Fc Groningen | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | -5 | 29 |
| 11 | Heracles Almelo | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | -6 | 26 |
| 12 | sc Heerenveen | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | -13 | 25 |
| 13 | Go Ahead Eagles | 23 | 6 | 5 | 12 | -16 | 23 |
| 14 | RKC Waalwijk | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | -13 | 23 |
| 15 | William II | 24 | 6 | 3 | 15 | -22 | 21 |
| 16 | Fortuna Sittard | 23 | 5 | 4 | 14 | -27 | 19 |
| 17 | Sparta Rotterdam | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -18 | 17 |
| 18 | PEC Zwolle | 24 | 4 | 5 | 15 | -21 | 17 |