Dennis Higler remains convinced that Ajax should have been awarded a penalty during their 2-2 Eredivisie draw against FC Twente on Sunday, according to journalist Mike Verweij speaking on the De Telegraaf podcast Kick Off.
The controversy unfolded when Ajax striker Wout Weghorst handled the ball inside his own penalty area during the match at De Grolsch Veste. Referee Joey Kooij was summoned to the pitchside monitor by VAR Higler, but ultimately declined to award a penalty to the visitors due to a preceding push by Dies Janse against Weghorst, as reported by fcupdate.nl.
“He is still convinced that it was a penalty for Ajax,” Verweij said on the podcast, as reported by fcupdate.nl. “In the Champions League it is also simply a penalty, but I think it is very brave of Kooij that he did not give a penalty because of the foul by Janse.”
The intervention triggered widespread debate not just for the penalty decision itself, but for the precise moment Kooij halted play. The referee blew his whistle just as FC Twente launched a counterattack that could have resulted in a goal. Kooij later acknowledged that the video assistant referee had instructed him to stop play several seconds before that turnover occurred.
Kooij admitted to ESPN that he was unhappy with the timing of the instruction, noting that he should have waited two or three seconds rather than blowing his whistle while FC Twente midfielder Daouda Weidmann seemed poised to race clear toward goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, as detailed by VOETBALZONE.
“I am upset afterwards that the VAR did not wait until the ball was out of play, but I also have to wear the hair shirt myself,” Kooij told ESPN. “I should have waited two, three seconds. We are both extremely disappointed about it.”
The friction between the officiating crew spilled over into the stadium catacombs. Verweij reported on the De Telegraaf podcast that Kooij walked into his dressing room shouting an expletive directed at the VAR setup, as cited by VOETBALZONE.
Bas Nijhuis also weighed in on the broadcast Vandaag Inside, criticizing the protocol that led Kooij to interrupt an active attacking sequence and warning that excessive VAR intervention risks undermining a referee’s on-field authority, as reported by VoetbalPrimeur and aggregated by Headliner.
🎙️ Mike Verweij: “Dennis Higler, who was the VAR yesterday, is still convinced that it should have been a penalty for Ajax.” #Ajax@televoetbal pic.twitter.com/0cSOyvGN6L
Despite the earlier grievances, Higler intervened once more in stoppage time when Ramiz Zerrouki went down following a challenge from Lucas Rosa during a corner kick. Kooij reviewed the pitchside monitor and awarded a late penalty, which Weghorst successfully converted in the dying moments to secure a 2-2 final score, according to VOETBALZONE.
The Eredivisie fixture ended in a 2-2 draw after a late penalty converted by Wout Weghorst.
Referee Joey Kooij reviewed the monitor and decided against awarding a penalty because Dies Janse had committed a preceding foul on Weghorst.
Dennis Higler operated as the video assistant referee for the match at De Grolsch Veste.
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