The KNVB has studied the controversial penalty moment during Feyenoord - PSV (2-2) and presented it to several experts. "We have come to the conclusion that this penalty should not have been given and the VAR should have reversed the decision", said a spokesperson for the football association about the alleged handball of Mauro Junior, who equalized Feyenoord in the 95th minute from a penalty kick.
Referee Serdar Gözübüyük judged Jens Toornstra's shot against the elbow of the turning Mauro Junior as handball and VAR Pol van Boekel supported that judgment. Cyriel Dessers shot in the 2-2 from 11 meters, leaving PSV 4 points behind the leader in the title battle with Ajax. The team from Amsterdam can therefore win the championship on Wednesday. De Telegraaf has asked referee boss Dick van Egmond for a response, but the ex-referee does not think it is wise to respond to the incident. Together with former referee Reinold Wiedemeijer, he used to discuss the most debatable moments of each matchday during “This was the weekend” on ESPN, but partly at the request of the referees, who found it annoying that their supervisor criticized them on TV, Wiedemeijer and Van Egmond stopped. “We believe that it should not have been a penalty and that the VAR should have intervened," said a spokesman for the KNVB. Why that didn't happen and why Gözübüyük didn't go to the TV screen along the pitch to review the situation remains unclear. The referee refused to clarify afterwards. “Since the introduction of the VAR, the number of errors has decreased, but discussion will always remain”, said the KNVB. ,,Refereeing remains human work and is not always easy. These are decisions that are made under great pressure. We keep trying to reduce the errors as much as possible, but it is a utopia to think that it can always be 100% error-free. Unfortunately, the referee and the VAR did not do well at Feyenoord - PSV. That was double unlucky for PSV.” John de Jong, director of football affairs at the Eindhoven team, has responded to the KNVB's statements to De Telegraaf: “It is good that the KNVB admits both mistakes, but we still regret that the referee did not want to give us an explanation about this crucial moment after the game.”
According to the KNVB, things also went wrong at PEC Zwolle - FC Utrecht, where “the offside line was drawn incorrectly by the VAR (Bas Nijhuis) and Gervane Kastaneer's goal was wrongly rejected. We find that very annoying for PEC Zwolle”, said the spokesperson. Due to the draw of the Zwolle players against FC Utrecht (1-1) and the victories of Willem II, Sparta and Fortuna, Dick Schreuder's team is last and there is a threat of direct relegation.
These wrong decisions will have no direct consequences for the referees “because we don't judge referees and VARs on one match, but on a series of games.”
Source: De Telegraaf
