Referee Richard Martens faces a backlash on X after awarding two highly contentious penalties during Excelsior's clash with FC Groningen.
Just over half an hour in, Martens awarded the first spot-kick. Jorg Schreuders initially held Excelsior forward Agust Orri Thorsteinsson outside the penalty area, then let him go and made slight contact with the Icelander inside the box. Martens pointed to the spot, and the VAR saw no reason to intervene. Irakli Yegoian converted to make it 1-1.
After the break, Schreuders was involved in another contentious penalty incident. The full-back went on a run into Excelsior's penalty area and fell between Jan Plug and Eric da Silva Moreira. The ball also appeared to have been played.
The VAR wanted Martens to take another look, but communication problems with Zeist stopped him from doing so in the usual way. Instead, the referee contacted the VAR by phone. His decision stood. Thom van Bergen converted the penalty to put Groningen 3-1 ahead.
Both penalties sparked disbelief on X. "Referee Martens needs a few weeks off, KNVB. How on earth can you give a penalty for that? It's an absolute disgrace…", writes Kjeld. Erik-Sander suspects the second decision was linked to the first penalty. "A make-up call for the first-half penalty, I think."
Excelsior's penalty also came under fire. "How can you give a penalty for that? And the VAR doesn't intervene! Astonishingly poor refereeing again," responds Jako.
On X, the verdict was that both penalties came far too easily. "Haha, what a standard. If we're going to give penalties for that… This referee is dreadful," says Arjan. Ronald agrees. "What an awful standard of refereeing. That's never a penalty. Referees' Week."