Serdar Gözübüyük took his Instagram account offline on Monday, a day after the much-discussed NEC–Feyenoord (1–1) draw. The referee had been under the spotlight on Sunday because of a controversial decision that infuriated the Feyenoord camp.
The flashpoint involved a foul by Philippe Sandler on Ayase Ueda, who had broken through on goal. Gözübüyükt first kept his cards in his pocket but, after VAR intervention, produced only a yellow. Many observers expected red.
Robin van Persie had already made his feelings clear to the fourth official during the match. “What is he doing?! That’s a player who’s broken through, isn’t it?! Unbelievable!” he shouted, visibly irritated. His reaction was not an isolated one.
The controversy simmered on social media even after the final whistle. Defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, who did not play, vented his frustration on Instagram. He posted the clip and wrote: “Unbelievable… With VAR involved and still getting it wrong. In what world is this not a red card?”
Several Feyenoord players echoed his frustration online: Givairo Read, Jordan Lotomba, Gonçalo Borges, Thijs Kraaijeveld, Shaqueel van Persie, Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Luciano Valente all questioned the call.
Valente was most vocal: “The way I saw it, it’s a real disgrace. We’ve had plenty of moments like this this season, and sometimes we bring it on ourselves, but this has nothing to do with us anymore. It’s a straight red card, simple as that. If NEC are reduced to ten men, the game just changes.”
Gözübüyük ruled on the pitch that Ueda had carried the ball too close to goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz, concluding that no clear goalscoring opportunity had therefore been denied.
A day later, Gözübüyüktemporarily took his Instagram account offline.
Update: as of Monday evening, his Instagram account is active once more.