Mar 08, 2023 at 1:48 PMUpdate: 9 minutes ago
FC Groningen has expressed its dissatisfaction with the KNVB about Isak Määttä’s much-discussed red card in the away match against Feyenoord (1-0). The northerners think the penalty for the wing defender is unreasonable.
Määttä received his second yellow card from referee Joey Kooij on Saturday, because he had shot the ball against Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who had fallen to the ground in front of him. Kooij judged that as “unsportsmanlike behaviour”, but the Groningers cannot agree with that.
“We are outraged and wanted to make a noise towards the KNVB. There is no mention anywhere in the regulations that you are not allowed to shoot a ball against the opponent if the ball is within the lines and no whistle has been blown,” says a spokesperson for FC Groningen against NU.nl on Wednesday.
“We have expressed our dissatisfaction with the red card to the KNVB. Not only did we have to continue with ten men in the duel with Feyenoord, but we now normally also miss Määttä next Saturday against AZ.”
Official protest is not possible
Because Määttä’s red card was given after two yellow cards, an official protest is not possible. The chance that his suspension will be undone is therefore nil.
“According to the rules, we cannot appeal against the yellow cards, but the consequences of last Saturday are enormous for us. We think it is unreasonable and we have also informed the KNVB,” says the spokesperson for the ‘Pride of the North’ ‘.
FC Groningen lost the away match against Feyenoord 1-0. The leader from Rotterdam only scored in the 88th minute via Oussama Idrissi. FC Groningen is in the disappointing seventeenth place in the Eredivisie.
View the position, the results and the program in the Eredivisie