Danny Makkelie still stands behind his decision to give Sparta Rotterdam a penalty kick in injury time of the match against FC Groningen, at a 1-1 score. Tobias Lauritsen jumped over the sliding Mike te Wierik and then went to the ground, after which the arbiter put the ball on the spot. Groningen’s protests were of no avail, as Vito van Crooij used the penalty kick and won the victory for Sparta.
Lauritsen didn’t seem to be moved by Te Wierik, although Makkelie had a slightly different reading. “I see that the Sparta attacker enters the penalty area, after the ball, and I see that Mike te Wierik comes in fairly impetuously and keeps his leg up,” says the referee in front of the camera. ESPN. “From my position there is light contact to be seen, coupled with the high speed of entry, leg up and the player trying to dodge a tackle. The Sparta player also gets out of balance as a result, so for me it is a clear penalty.”
Te Wierik’s intention was therefore the most important reason for Makkelie to whistle. “It is the recklessness of income and the leg raised high. If the attacker hadn’t jumped, we might have been talking about something completely different and that kid might not have been able to finish this game. What would you do if such a tackle was used in midfield? Then you jump up too, right? And should the referee always let it go because nothing or something is very lightly hit?”
However, the arbitrator can understand the anger at Groningen, especially after seeing the images. According to him, they did not provide 100 percent clarity. “I went to the screen, saw the images there and I cannot conclude that there would have been no contact. Then I have to stick to the decision, but the VAR had doubts whether it was heavy enough for a penalty kick. I must also honestly say that with the images it seems as if it is light. It’s a combination of the cleverness of an attacker and maybe the stupidity of a defender.”