Bizarre and sad end Utrecht-RKC – Mayor decides on playoff, players keep legs still
The score: Utrecht sure of play-offs
FC Utrecht secured participation in the playoffs for a ticket to European soccer thanks to the victory. Coach Michael Silberbauer’s team is now sure of at least seventh place. RKC saw number 8 sc Heerenveen, which played a scoreless draw against Excelsior, gain a point. With two games to go, Heerenveen has 42 points and RKC 41. The number 8 will be the last to reach the play-offs.
KNVB: mayor of Utrecht ‘overruled’ our rules
The KNVB stresses that the match between FC Utrecht and RKC Waalwijk actually should have been stopped permanently. Referee Ingmar Oostrom sent the players of both clubs to the dressing rooms in injury time, after a plastic cup was thrown onto the pitch for the second time from the stands. The rules state that a match must then be stopped, but according to a KNVB spokesperson, Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma decided that the remaining 2 minutes of injury time should be played out.
“Our rules are clear: this should have been definitely stopped, despite there being only 2 minutes left to play,” the league said. “But the mayor can overrule this for reasons she sees fit, and she did.”
UTR-RKC | Kramer: ‘Wanted to make statement’
Captains Michiel Kramer of RKC and Nick Viergever of FC Utrecht explain afterwards what the players wanted to say with the action in the played-out minutes in injury time. “We wanted to make a statement,” RKC captain Michiel Kramer told ESPN. “If we now go in after every thing, it doesn’t make sense. The rules are clear, but we shouldn’t strike out. Is not the intention, I think.”
Viergever concurred with Kramer’s words. “A lot of people behave well. The rules are clear. Soccer is a fun outing, you have to have fun when you go to the stadium. Fans should support us. This behavior is not part of that. There are a few who ruin it for the rest.”
UTR-RKC | Players Utrecht and RKC stop playing soccer demonstratively after new incidents
Another new chapter has been added to the file of suspended matches in professional soccer. Although the match between FC Utrecht and RKC was stopped twice, it was decided against the rules to play the game anyway.
This at the request of Mayor Sharon Dijksma of Utrecht, who wanted to prevent escalation.
UTR-RKC | Match will be played out after all
Confusion all around in Utrecht. The final minutes will be played after all. Mayor’s decision, reports ESPN, for safety reasons.
As after the first goal, cups are thrown onto the field after the 2-0. And that, according to tightened KNVB rules, means the game is permanently stopped in injury time.
The players of both teams are still on the field and the crowd is also still waiting. “Playing soccer,” is shouted. Will the final minutes be played out after all?
UTR-RKC | 90+3′ GOAL FC UTRECHT!
In injury time, Labyad decides the match. The substitute is alert after a low corner from Bozdogan.
FC Utrecht – RKC Waalwijk 2-0
UTR-RKC | 83′ No decision
Can Bozdogan passes RKC invader Iliass Bel Hassani with a nice passing move and could decide the match. However, he shoots far wide. So it remains exciting for a while.
FC Utrecht – RKC Waalwijk 1-0
PSG win with Messi whistled out and nearly clinches French title
Paris Saint-Germain has almost clinched the national title in the French soccer league. The star team from Paris beat Ajaccio 5-0 and, with three games to go, is six points ahead of Lens. For Ajaccio, with the defeat in Paris, relegation from the Ligue 1 became a reality.
Lionel Messi was back in the starting lineup at PSG after missing last week’s 3-1 win against Troyes due to a disciplinary penalty. The 35-year-old Argentine was suspended for visiting Saudi Arabia when he should have been training in Paris. Messi apologized in a video message and was allowed to rejoin coach Christophe Galtier’s squad early this week.
Messi was whistled at by some of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes on Saturday when he was on the ball. That has happened more often in recent weeks. Messi played the whole game against Ajaccio, but did not score.
Inter knocks off Sassuolo heading into second semifinal against Milan
Internazionale made no mistake ahead of their second game with AC Milan in the Champions League semifinals. Coach Simone Inzaghi’s team won 4-2 over Sassuolo in the Italian league. Romelu Lukaku scored twice.
Inter benefited from AC Milan’s defeat earlier on Saturday against Spezia (2-0) and now holds a five-point lead over the city rival as No. 3, which occupies the fifth spot behind Lazio. Denzel Dumfries remained on the reserve bench at Inter, Stefan de Vrij played until the 73rd minute. Inter defends a 2-0 lead from the first game against AC Milan on Tuesday.
UTR-RKC | 68′ Chance Kramer
RKC striker Michiel Kramer is close to the equalizer. Substitute Bakkali crosses from the left and at the second post Kramer can reach the ball. Hindered by Van der Maarel, the RKC striker misses.
FC Utrecht – RKC Waalwijk 1-0
UTR-RKC | Match Continues
After a brief interruption of several minutes, the match between FC Utrecht and RKC Waalwijk (1-0) continues.
FC Utrecht – RKC Waalwijk 1-0
UTR-RKC | 60′ GOAL FC UTRECHT!
Douvikas receives the ball from Toornstra and shoots the ball diagonally into the far corner. With his 17th goal of the season, the Greek is now sole top scorer.
FC Utrecht – RKC Waalwijk 1-0
English media: Pochettino to become new Chelsea coach
Chelsea is about to sign Mauricio Pochettino as their new coach, according to English media. The 51-year-old Argentine previously worked in the Premier League at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. Last year, Pochettino had to leave Paris Saint-Germain despite capturing the French title.
Chelsea is experiencing a particularly disappointing season. Although the London club of new American owner Todd Boehly attracted hundreds of millions worth of new players, Chelsea is no more than a middle man in the English league. The ‘Blues are in 11th place and will not play European soccer next season.
Chelsea already fired two trainers this season. In September, Thomas Tuchel had to leave. His successor Graham Potter was also fired after more than half a year. Frank Lampard finished the season as interim coach. Under his leadership, Chelsea won only once in eight games and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League by Real Madrid.
Heerenveen: great chance of 0-0
Heerenveen’s play was not to be seen today, not for the first time this season. It was the 6th 0-0 of the season for the Frisians. No club played 0-0 so often. Heerenveen is also the first club with at least six 0-0s in a premier league season since Feyenoord and FC Utrecht in 2009/2010.
‘Insane’ Becker cannot promise Union Berlin he will stay
Sheraldo Becker cannot promise the supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin that he will also play for the German club next season. The Amsterdam striker still has a one-year contract in Berlin. Becker put Union Berlin on the threshold of the Champions League on Saturday with two goals and two assists against SC Freiburg (4-2).
“I’m under contract here for another year,” Becker said. “I’m concentrating on Union and our last two games. After that, I’m going on vacation. In soccer, you can’t promise anything. But my family and I feel very comfortable here.” The Suriname international has been playing for Union Berlin since 2019. Before that, he played for Ajax, PEC Zwolle and ADO Den Haag.
The 28-year-old striker scored his tenth and eleventh goal of this season in the Bundesliga. After his first goal, Becker removed a mask of the famous superhero Spider-Man from under his shirt and pulled it over his head. It earned him a yellow card. “No, I didn’t buy it especially for this. That mask had been in my house for a year; it belongs to my sons. I wanted to wait for the right time to put it on. First my plan was to put the mask on in the last home game against Werder Bremen. But today my whole family was in the stadium, so I did it now. This way of cheering was for my children.”
HEE-EXC | 82′ Excelsior unfortunate
Excelsior coach Marinus Dijkhuizen already saw the ball go in, but it’s not a goal. Invader Reda Kharchouch shoots wide in promising position. Not a first away goal for the Kralingers since Nov. 13 last year.
Van Hooijdonk would have wished he had been given such an opportunity. It’s a frustrating night for the premier league’s co-top scorer.
sc Heerenveen – Excelsior 0-0
Southampton relegated from Premier League after eleven years
Southampton has been relegated from the Premier League after eleven years. The team of Spanish coach Rubén Sellés lost 2-0 to Fulham in front of their own crowd on Saturday and therefore cannot escape relegation.
Brazilian former PSV player Carlos Vinícius opened the score shortly after halftime for Fulham, where Dutch defender Kenny Tete had a starting place. Serbian substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic removed the last bit of hope from the home side in the 72nd minute with the second goal.
Southampton promoted to the Premier League in 2012 as No. 2 in the Championship. In 2016, the club still finished sixth, its best performance since returning to the top level.
Dani de Wit back in selection AZ after months of absence
Dani de Wit will return to the AZ selection on Sunday for the league match against FC Emmen. The midfielder had been sidelined with a foot injury since late January. AZ initially expected to miss De Wit for several weeks, but the injury turned out to be more serious than expected.
“Back tomorrow,” the 25-year-old De Wit wrote on Instagram. The former Ajax player is a regular in coach Pascal Jansen’s team. In 15 league games this season, De Wit scored five goals.
De Wit’s return is a big windfall for AZ. The Alkmaarders will play the second match against West Ham United in the Conference League semifinals on Thursday. AZ lost the first meeting Thursday in London 2-1. AZ is battling Ajax for third place in the last three rounds of play in the Eredivisie. Ajax has 2 points more.
Ajax board lowers intended compensation for supervisory board members
Ajax’s board of directors has decided to reduce the intended compensation for supervisory board members. The proposal is now to pay chairman Pier Eringa 35,000 euros annually. For the new soccer commissioner Jan van Halst there is a sum of 45,000 euros, and Annette Mosman, Cees van Oevelen and Georgette Schlick will receive 25,000 euros for their work at the listed club, according to the new plans.
Initially, the plan was to pay Eringa and Van Halst 50,000 euros. The three other supervisory directors were to receive 35,000 euros. Those amounts met with resistance from prominent members such as Sjaak Swart, Keje Molenaar, Arie van Os and Arie van Eijden. The board of directors has now accommodated them somewhat.
The proposal will be considered at an extraordinary meeting of shareholders on Friday, May 26. Ajax’s supervisory board members are not currently being paid for their role as supervisors.
Ten Hag sees United more attractive years after his arrival
Erik ten Hag experiences that Manchester United is currently a lot more attractive to big players than just after his arrival. The coach is nearing the end of his first season in the Premier League.
“I see a big difference from last year. There was a lot of reticence when I spoke to players a year ago,” Ten Hag said. “If the players see the project with the ambition and the quality present now and what is happening, they are open to it. I noticed that. This year there are a lot of quality players who would like to come.”
United have only 1 point more than No. 5 Liverpool, but have played one less game. After this weekend, Ten Hag’s team still has three league games to play.
Brazilian club fires two players for match-fixing
Brazilian soccer club Athletico Paranaense has fired players Bryan Garcia and Pedrinho. Both players have been accused of involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Brazilian soccer.
The two players are allegedly involved in matchfixing, in which players, in exchange for money from criminals, deliberately influence the course of matches in a certain way. “Integrity and ethics are irrevocable values at Athletico Paranaense,” the club from the southern city of Curitiba announced.
Athletico Paranaense, a 2022 Copa Libertadores finalist, had already suspended the two players last Wednesday.
