Although Roda JC recorded a 2-0 victory over SC Cambuur on Friday evening, one point is enough to achieve promotion to the Eredivisie when they visit FC Groningen next week, but things could have turned out very differently against the Frisians. In the second half, the visitors were entitled to a penalty kick at 1-0 after an obvious handball by . However, referee Sander van der Eijk did not want to hear anything.
The penultimate round in the Kitchen Champion Division was one for the books. Willem II, Roda JC and FC Groningen competed for promotion. The Tilburg team was heading for a 1-0 defeat at FC Dordrecht for a long time, but was saved deep into injury time by a striking header from Michael de Leeuw. Willem II only needed one point to secure promotion to the Eredivisie, partly because FC Groningen and Roda JC will face each other next week. That will be a direct fight for the second promotional ticket. Roda JC currently has the best credentials. After all, the lead over FC Groningen is three points.
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The difference could easily have been one point. Roda JC had a very difficult time on its own field against SC Cambuur on Friday evening. Sami Ouaissa only opened the scoring after 65 minutes. Just a few minutes later the visitors were entitled to a penalty. SC Cambuur back Thomas Poll steamed up on the left. He was stopped by two opponents, but Didden clearly hit the ball over the back line with his right hand. Penalty, you might say. But referee Van der Eijk pointed to the corner flag and his assistant, who was standing on the back line, apparently also noticed no handball. The arbitration decision led to disbelief among viewers. “Van der Eijk is the worst referee on the Dutch fields” and “the Dutch arbitration decides matches every week and is terribly bad, but this is simply one hundred percent match fixing,” says X, among others.
There is no video referee in the Kitchen Champion Division, so there was no one – apart from the SC Cambuur players – who could point out Didden’s handball to Van der Eijk. A painful mistake. Less than ten minutes later, Václav Sejk doubled the score on behalf of Roda JC, which decided the match. “Look KNVB, three clubs are being disadvantaged by such referees in a very important phase of the competition,” it sounds. It will have to be seen whether the mistake has consequences for Van der Eijk. “The list of stupid mistakes by this referee is too long. That man is simply incompetent. Doesn’t have to be a problem, but put it on other matches,” someone advises the football association.
Roda JC thought they had already secured the promotion ticket with the 2-0 victory over SC Cambuur. FC Groningen faced a 1-0 deficit for a long time in the away match against Telstar. Coach Dick Lukkien’s formation equalized deep into injury time, but that did not immediately get through in Kerkrade. Roda JC supporters had already entered the field and were celebrating with the players, especially after the stadium speaker announced that Telstar had made it 2-1. However, that was not the case.
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