Twente Enschede held Ajax Amsterdam to a 2-2 draw, but referee Joey Kooij caused the controversy of the matchday, according to ESPN, with an outburst and an admission that he had stopped play too soon following serious VAR blunders.
Immediately after the final whistle, Kooij admitted he had stopped play too soon when video assistant Dennis Higler urged him to halt the game immediately. He said he should have let play continue for a few more seconds instead of cutting short the home side's promising counter-attack.
Around a quarter of an hour before the end, Ajax still led 2-1 when a possible handball penalty for the Amsterdam side prompted Higler to contact Kooij and call for a review. Kooij blew his whistle, denying Enschede a clear attacking opportunity.
Kooij watched the footage at the side of the pitch and disagreed with his assistant. In the referee's view, Twente striker Wout Weghorst had not handled the ball illegally.
IMAGO"Shit VAR": referee in Holland fumes after mistake
Ajax got no penalty, but Kooij's premature whistle had cost Enschede their counter-attack, angering fans in the stands and those on the home bench.
Related Topics
Kooij's composure had visibly frayed. Pitchside microphones picked up the referee shouting "Shit VAR!" as he headed down the tunnel towards the dressing room.
Speaking to ESPN shortly afterwards, he addressed what had happened: "I was really enormously annoyed about it."
Stoppage time brought another flashpoint when Kooij initially missed Ajax defender Lucas Rosa pulling Ramiz Zerrouki's shirt on the pitch.
After the video officials intervened again, Kooij returned to the screen and this time changed his decision in Twente's favour, pointing to the spot. Weghorst took responsibility and converted confidently to make it 2-2, sealing a sporting setback for Amsterdam.