Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 2:55 PM• Dominic Mostert

The penalty kick that Ajax received on Sunday in the match against FC Groningen (3-1) keeps the spirits busy. After a shot by Edson Álvarez, Mike te Wierik, who was a few meters away in the penalty area, got the ball against the arm and Dennis Higler pointed to the spot. The subsequent penalty was missed by Dusan Tadic, but Tomás Suslov’s early run-in allowed the captain to score from a second attempt.

Kees Kwakman, who works as an analyst for ESPN, indicates on Twitter that he does not understand the penalty. “Just pull out all the teeth, without anesthesia, at the inventor of this hand rule”, the former midfielder grumbles. Along the field of the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Hedwiges Maduro reacts in a more nuanced way. “We know the rule: hands is hands. But why immediately yellow? He can’t do anything about it? I think that rule is super stupid. Maybe it was for protesting, I don’t know.” Te Wierik did indeed receive a yellow card and shortly afterwards was substituted for Wessel Dammers.

“If those are the rules, those are the rules”, responds trainer Danny Buijs van Groningen. “Those people have to follow the rules. When I see Sander van der Eijk yesterday, I have more trouble with that.” The coach is referring to a late and decisive penalty that FC Utrecht received against RKC Waalwijk after contact between Ahmed Touba and Gyrano Kerk. After the game, Van der Eijk admitted that the penalty was unjustified. “We all make mistakes in the sport, but it should not be the case that the Eredivisie becomes a test league for young referees to make mistakes. We also make mistakes, but the referees have a tool and can correct the mistakes during the game”, according to Buijs.

“We trainers and footballers cannot do that. This is a fine rule, but when I watch RKC yesterday, it is laughable. You will be one point short at the end of the season, while six people have the chance to make their mistake. restore with TV images. Better the experienced referees, Kuipers, Nijhuis, today Higler. Higler, on the advice of the VAR, chose to let Tadic take over the penalty, after the attacker first hit the bar. Tómas Suslov ran in too early and then defended the ball out, taking advantage of the early run-in. “This is a good learning moment, because nowadays you know that the VAR can reverse the decision”, says Buijs.

Te Wierik, the defender who started the handball, speaks of a ‘shit rule’ “What the hell am I supposed to do then?”, He wonders. “Rules, this is not a rule man. Look then. Next time I’ll bring a chainsaw and saw my arm off. What am I supposed to do? Can’t be true? I think it’s ridiculous, really ridiculous. I also get yellow. I think a person has two arms, isn’t it? This is unbelievable. He shoots that ball hard against my arm from three meters. Te Wierik did not even notice that Tadic missed the penalty. “I’ll tell you one thing, I was already in because I was angry. I didn’t see it at all.”

Tadic admits that he shot “a little too high” at first. “I wanted to shoot the ball into the intersection. I was lucky,” he admits. Last week he scored convincingly after Denzel Dumfries provoked him. Suslov had also been given that, Tadic says with a laugh. “A player from Groningen came up to me and asked: should I do the same or not? Suslov was that. Yes, it always gives me energy when someone annoys me.” Maduro proclaims the Serb the best man on the field. “He has a good kicking technique, of course. I thought he was fantastic today. In my eyes he was the man of the match. Always playable, good continuation, important again with a goal …”