Chivu suspension lowered, misses next two games

07 May: Ajax's appeal against the the KNVB's suspension of Cristian Chivu has had the desired effect. One of the three games for which the Romanian defender was originally suspended has been turned into a conditional suspension. The Ajax captain will now effectively be suspended for the upcoming Eredivisie games against NEC (away) and De Graafschap (at home). He will be available for the following away match at FC Twente (25 May).

The Ajax captain was suspended based on TV footage of the April 16 Amstel Cup semi-final against Feyenoord, in which Chivu apparently attempted to hit Korean defender Chong-Gug Song. The Romanian strongly denied that he intended to hit his opponent. Chivu, on AT5 Television: "We will appeal against this verdict. My behaviour was wrong, but it was absolutely not my intention to hit Song. I want the KNVB to acknowledge that."

Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was suspended based on TV footage from the same match. The Swede hit Feyenoord defender Gérard de Nooijer on the eyebrow with his elbow and was handed a suspension of six games, of which one conditional. Zlatan will effectively be sidelined for five league games. He has already served two of those: AZ away and RKC Waalwijk at home.

According to technical director Leo Beenhakker, Ajax decided to accept Zlatan's suspension and not give notice of appeal, because it wasn't the first time for Zlatan to get suspended for an elbow hit. The Swede was involved in a strikingly similar incident last season. FC Groningen's Melchior Schoenmakers then was the victim.

The legal process involving Chivu, Zlatan and Feyenoord striker Pierre van Hooydonk, who received a highly doubtful red card from referee Roelof Luinge in the same game, was overshadowed by a 'cold war' between Holland's supreme arch-enemies. Both Ajax defender Jelle Van Damme and Feyenoord defender Song gave apparent false testimonies to the KNVB disciplinary committee. Van Damme initially stated that Van Hooydonk had not kicked or pushed him, but - much to Feyenoord's anger - changed this statement later. Song, in his turn, claimed that he could only just avoid Chivu's punch, whereas TV footage shows that he did not see Chivu coming.

Both clubs implicitly admitted to have ordered their respective players to give a false testimony in front of the KNVB disciplinary committee, as the row now focuses on the question who was the first one to lie. Ajax coach Ronald Koeman claims that Van Damme's statement was a reaction to Song's statement. Manager Jan D. Swart of Feyenoord, however, insists that it was the other way round. (MP)

(Sources: de Volkskrant, Ajax.nl, Het Parool, AT5 Television(