Thomas Letsch is furious about Allard Lindhout’s decision not to give a penalty during the final phase of the match between FC Utrecht and Vitesse (1-1). The leader was called to the side by video referee Ingmar Oostrom after a duel between Willem Janssen and Loïs Openda, where the FC Utrecht defender clearly seemed to be holding on to his opponent. Lindhout calls it a ‘stupid mistake’ that he did not give a penalty.
“That’s a scandal”, so signs The Telegraph from the mouth of an enraged Latvian about the moment in the 82nd minute. “The VAR says: ‘Look, it’s a penalty kick.’ I see the image and he clearly pulls it down. The referee goes to look and says: ‘No penalty.’ How does it exist? There is no one, not even FC Utrecht, who sees these images and says that it is not a penalty kick. The VAR is doing everything right, but the referee has decided otherwise.”
“But only one knows why he did that. I have to accept it, but I cannot accept it. It was a clear penalty,” continues the Vitesse trainer. The Arnhem team managed with one man less – Adrian Grbic received a red card after an elbow to Mike van der Hoorn – in the second minute of injury time to equalize, thanks to a goal by Danilho Doekhi.
“A stupid mistake, this was a penalty”, Lindhout admits in front of the camera of ESPN† Opposite Football International he stated that his own perception got in the way. “You have a few things in your head. You have your own perception on the field. In my experience, Openda also held onto it, that’s in your head. What has influenced me too much is Openda’s fall style. But when I look at it again in peace, it is obvious that Janssen is holding on.”