Heracles coach Frank Wormuth directs his anger after the conviction of his team to the play-offs for promotion/relegation in the arbitration at the home defeat against Sparta Rotterdam (1-3). The German does not understand Danny Makkelie’s decision not to put the ball on the spot after a handball from Sparta defender Aaron Meijers.
“I have stood here so many times and always said that we had to accept the referee’s choice. Only now it was so clear,” Wormuth said. ESPN at the moment around Meijers at a 0-1 deficit.
Meijers received the ball shortly after the break in his own penalty area, but according to Makkelie there was no question of deliberate hands. Shortly before that, Meijers grazed the ball with his thigh and the VAR probably saw no reason to call the referee to the side.
“This is hands, done”, Wormuth reacted when he saw the images again. “This could have changed the game and in my opinion this should have been a penalty. And also you have to conclude here that the VAR was bad again.”
“Situations like this are very annoying, but it doesn’t say everything. Ultimately at the end of the season you are in the place where you belong. We have come to this position for a reason.”
For users of the app: tap the tweet above to view Aaron Meijers’ unpunished handball.
Wormuth keeps faith: ‘We have the qualities’
The defeat threatens a disaster scenario for Heracles Almelo. The Almelo team were far from the relegation zone for weeks, but failed to play safe by losing the last three games of the season.
Partly because of that bad series, Heracles was sentenced to play-offs and first a diptych with Excelsior awaits. In the last three seasons played out, no Eredivisie team managed to maintain itself through the play-offs.
“I am aware of that, but we have the qualities. You can clearly see that,” Wormuth responded. “The only thing we don’t have is a goalscorer. That has been breaking us up all season, but after the next four games that could just be different.”
If Heracles succeeds in beating Excelsior, a duel with the winner of ADO Den Haag-FC Eindhoven awaits in the final battle. Willem II and PEC Zwolle were relegated directly from the Eredivisie this season.