Tolga Ö. has been sentenced by the court in Breda to 60 hours of community service following a brutal foul on an amateur pitch. The 21-year-old footballer from Den Bosch was found guilty of assault resulting in serious bodily harm. His opponent, Martin Kuijer, suffered a complex fibula fracture, dislocated ankles and torn ankle ligaments as a result of the incident.
The incident took place on 18 February 2024 during the match between Cluzona and FC Engelen. The team from Wouw were already comfortably leading 6-0 at the time. The one-sided match suddenly took a very grim turn.
Kuijer had just scored and regained possession shortly afterwards. He launched an attack towards the goal, with the ball well ahead of him. Tolga Ö. gave chase and opted for a sliding tackle from behind.
In doing so, he did not hit the ball, but struck the striker’s leg just above the ankle. Kuijer had to be taken to hospital by ambulance and underwent surgery there. The consequences of the foul are still evident for the striker.
The court was harsh in its judgement of Ö.’s action. “He could never have hit the ball. The ball was well ahead of the striker and Tolga was behind him. He made a hard sliding tackle with his studs forward,” the verdict states. “He consciously accepted the risk that he might hit the striker rather than the ball.”
Witnesses were also unanimous in their assessment of the tackle. It was described as “a flying tackle, a minor collision” and “a deliberate tackle with studs forward”. The referee immediately showed a red card for a foul involving excessive force.
Remarkably, FC Engelen’s own coach also voiced strong criticism. According to him, Ö. was frustrated after losing possession and deliberately looking to commit a foul. He described the action as “fierce and reckless”.
In addition to the community service order, Ö. must pay compensation of over 12,000 euros, comprising medical expenses and compensation for pain and suffering.
Suspension by the KNVB
The KNVB imposed a suspension of ‘only’ six matches on Ö. Both the perpetrator and the victim have since left their clubs. Kuijer is still struggling with the aftermath of the serious injury.