KNVB: No suspension for Blind, fine for Van der Lem
13 April: The disciplinary committee of the KNVB has
cleared Ajax head-coach Danny Blind of the charge of having
abused referee Roelof Luinge during the half-time break of
Roda JC vs Ajax on 02 April. Blind's assistant, Gerard van
der Lem, was handed a 500 euro fine and a suspended
sentence of one match with a year's probation, for
insultuing referee Eric Braamhaar and/or one of the linesman
after the Gatorade Cup game between Ajax and Roda on 22
March.
At the hearing on Tuesday 11 April at the KNVB
headquarters in Zeist, referee Roelof Luinge claimed that Blind
had yelled the Dutch word hufter at him
when the Ajax coach entered the pitch after Luinge's
half-time whistle. Van Dale's Dutch-English dictionary
translates the word hufter as 'shithead' or 'asshole'.
Luinge sent Blind to the stands. After the game Blind strongly
denied that he had yelled abuse at Luinge and stated that the
referee was lying.
The disciplinary committee of the KNVB has come to the
conclusion that there was an "intense dispute" between
Blind and Luinge, but "does not qualify the language
used as abusive." The committee did find
enough evidence against Blind's assistant Gerard van
der Lem, who insulted one or more KNVB officials
after the Ajax vs Roda cup game. Both Ajax
coaches turned down settlement proposals from the
KNVB on 04 April. (MP)
Source: KNVB.nl
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