For Calvin Stengs, AZ’s season’s Eredivisie overture has been very short. The 21-year-old winger got a direct red card in the seventeenth minute in the home game against PEC Zwolle on Saturday afternoon because of an awkward tackle on Kenneth Paal. For Stengs it was the first red card in his career. At that time it was still 0-0 in Alkmaar.

The incident had eluded referee Serdar Gözübüyük at first, but after intervention of the video referee (VAR) Stengs was able to withdraw. The youngster from AZ went into Paal from behind with his leg stretched out and initially seemed to have escaped a penalty. However, after intervention of the VAR he was able to withdraw.

For Stengs it meant his first red card in 77 official duels for AZ and his first card at all in 49 games in the Eredivisie. Statistics office Opta points out that in the history of AZ, only five players had been sent off the field with red before in the Eredivisie.

Red! ??

After intervention of the VAR, Calvin Stengs must leave the field after a charge at Kenneth Paal. AZ onwards with ten men.#azpec https://t.co/JMEenhjAcJ pic.twitter.com/BYinObju7G

– FOX Sports (@FOXSportsnl) September 19, 2020