A bizarre incident marred the basement game between play-out participant HDM and relegated Voordaan in the Tulp Hoofdklasse on Sunday. HDM forward Javier Osses received a red card in the match, which his team won 6-4. He would have spat on his opponent. A look back with the protagonists on a strange event in Groenekan.
Let’s go back to Sunday afternoon, around the clock of half past four on the field of Voordaan. After 27 minutes, Javier Osses got the ball on the ball with Voordaan defender Thomas van Battum. The footage shows little more than two players arguing, until referee Joep Everaers draws a red card for the Hagenees. Because of spitting, as it turns out later. Osses then leaves the field. Van Battum wipes his face with his shirt.
“I don’t think I spat,” are Javier Osses’ first words. He rechecks the whole situation. “I got a ball on the back line. I then played it directly by a fellow player, while colliding with a player from Voordaan. Little happened, but he came to me to get a story,” is how he describes the origin of the receipt. “We started arguing, which turned into screaming. As a result, some consumption flew with me. I was then approached by the defender. He then yelled at the referee to see if he had seen it. I’ve talked to consumption, but never spit on purpose. You don’t see me doing that in the images either.’
On purpose or not, referee Joep Everaers immediately, without a doubt, drew a red card. “I really don’t think I spat,” Osses said. ‘You can’t do that with a bit in. I am very sorry about this situation. I really didn’t sleep well.’
‘Blob drool on the side of my face’
“Let me say first of all that I spoke to Javier after the game,” said Voordaan defender Thomas van Battum. “No hard feelings, but I think it’s a stupid action,” he continues. “I went to get redress because I thought he was following me. He responded. And as he did so, consumption came out of his mouth. That landed on his face too. When I said he had some drool on his face, he made a thumping motion towards me. As a result, I had a blob of drool on the side of my face. I gestured directly to the referee. He had seen it too. I then had to wipe the drool with my shirt.’
Van Battum still can’t quite get his head around what happened that Sunday afternoon. His team was relegated from the big league, but this moment stays with him the most. “He said afterwards that he didn’t do it consciously. I think that’s great. This was much more than a splash. I think it’s a deliberate action. My teammates even heard him make a tumbling sound. The match wasn’t there at all. You just can’t do this subconsciously.’
‘Was in shock’
Osses is still very upset about the situation. “I’m not a jacked-up player at all. I’m one of the quietest on my team. I’ve never gotten a red card. I really thought when it happened: what the hell is happening here. I was in shock. That’s why I didn’t respond when I got that card. I left the field completely gutted.’
The KNHB’s independent disciplinary committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the red card. It will be announced on Friday whether Osses will be punished and how many games he may be suspended.
