The Spanish media is looking forward to the game against Germany next Sunday with fear and trembling because of one man: video referee Pol van Boekel. The 47-year-old Dutchman even made the headlines after his appointment for the World Cup match Mundo Deportivo: ‘Danger: the infamous Van Boekel is the VAR during Spain – Germany’. Van Boekel has not made himself popular in Spain due to his recent appearances as VAR during Barcelona’s Champions League matches. Danny Makkelie is also the referee.
Van Boekel, together with colleague Dennis Higler, was responsible for viewing the images during Internazionale – Barcelona (1-0) on October 4. Barça coach Xavi was angry with the Dutch duo after that match. A disallowed goal and a penalty kick that was not awarded were the cause of this. “I am really furious, because we have been wronged,” Xavi said at the press conference.
Barcelona thought to put the equalizer on the scoreboard in the 67th minute when Pedri shot the ball behind André Onana. Higler and Van Boekel decided to call referee Slavko Vincic to the screen. A replay showed that Ansu Fati passed the ball to Pedri through his hand, so that the Slovenian leader decided to cancel the goal. Earlier it also went wrong against Bayern Munich when Van Boekel was of service to the VAR.
During the away match in Germany, Barcelona did not receive a penalty when the score was 0-0, when Alphonso Davies seemed to foul Ousmane Dembélé. In the end, that game ended in a 2-0 victory for the Germans. Mundo Deportivo writes in the run-up to the duel of la roja that those moments still haunt Catalonia. “Many fans of FC Barcelona will think back with bad feelings to previous duels of the Dutch referee.” The match between Spain and Germany will be played on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. (Dutch time).
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