Defender Mats Deijl of Go Ahead Eagles went through the dust on Saturday evening for his hard tackle on Richard Ledezma in the home game against PSV. Due to his misplaced sliding, which he had to pay with a red card, Ledezma was injured and the team from Deventer had no chance against the Eindhoven team: 2-5.
The 25-year-old Deijl committed his hard offense in the 32nd minute. The fullback tried to slide the ball away from Ledezma’s feet, but instead he hit the American’s ankle full.
“First I wanted to hold him. I thought: then I get yellow. Then I could have done better afterwards,” said a guilty Deijl afterwards in conversation with ESPN. “I have now seen the moment five times. I also immediately felt that I was hitting his ankle. It is a justified red card.”
At the time of the red card, Go Ahead Eagles and PSV were still in balance (1-1), but the team of coach Ruud van Nistelrooij took a 1-3 lead at the end of the first half. In the second half, the home team was logically unable to get back into the game with one man less.
Mats Deijl immediately knew he was wrong when he started his sliding tackle.
Mats Deijl immediately knew he was wrong when he started his sliding tackle. Photo: Pro Shots
‘There’s no point in saying sorry 25 times’
Deijl’s sliding tackle also marked the end of Ledezma’s game. The attacking midfielder, who has not yet recovered from a serious knee injury, was allowed to start against Go Ahead from kick-off at PSV for the first time in a long time.
“It was of course not my intention to hurt that boy or to hit him like that,” said Deijl. “That’s not in me at all, I think everyone can confirm that. I went to that boy (Ledezma, ed.) in peace to check how he was doing. I think he liked that. He said that it went well under the circumstances.”
Deijl also knows that his red card played a role in the eventual large defeat of Go Ahead. “But at halftime I mainly let the trainer speak. It is of no use to anyone if I say sorry 25 times at such a moment. I can’t turn it back, but this will never happen to me again. I know that secure.”