Zerrouki criticises referee after Twente held to draw by Ajax

Ramiz Zerrouki questioned Joey Kooij’s refereeing after FC Twente drew 2-2 with Ajax, saying the official’s decision to stop play during a potentially decisive attack was difficult to understand.

The Algeria midfielder also defended the penalty awarded to FC Twente late in the match and said the result had left his side disappointed, despite their determination to continue fighting until the final whistle.

Zerrouki believes Kooij was right to give Twente the spot-kick. Speaking to ESPN, he said: “I think my protest shows how confident I was.”

“I am convinced it was a penalty. I felt as though I was being held. I was really impeded.”

The more contentious moment came earlier in the match, when Kooij blew his whistle as Twente regained possession in a promising position. Zerrouki was unhappy that the referee stopped the move rather than allowing it to continue while a possible VAR review was considered.

“You cannot blow the whistle like that – it is really crucial,” he said. “Things would really have had to go badly for us not to score.”

Zerrouki said the timing of the decision was particularly frustrating because Kooij did not immediately consult VAR.

“What I do not understand is that he blows the whistle just as we win the ball back, then waits another minute before consulting VAR,” he said. “You just have to let the game continue for one minute. If you hear that VAR needs to be consulted, then you stop the game.”

The midfielder suggested the incident may have increased Twente’s resolve as they pursued a result against Ajax.

“It may have affected us a little, but we carried on fighting until the final seconds,” he said. “In the end, it is a 2-2 draw, but we are very disappointed.”

Asked whether the result meant Twente could begin thinking about the championship, Zerrouki responded with caution.

“I am a Twente supporter now, so we remain modest,” he said, laughing.

“We are competitive and we show our potential in important matches. But, obviously, there is still a long way to go. We will take it one step at a time.”

Twente’s inability to beat Ajax added to the sense of frustration surrounding the result, with Zerrouki saying the draw itself underlined how much his side had wanted to win.

“The fact that we drew with Ajax says a lot about our disappointment,” he said.