AZ Alkmaar ‘keeper Esteban Alvarado has been cleared of any wrongdoing after reacting to an unprovoked attack by a crazy Ajax fan on Wednesday night.
Alvarado was given his marching orders during the clash with Ajax after lashing out at a supporter who had rushed from the stands and attacked him on the pitch.
The Costa Rican netminder pummelled the fan with a couple of kicks as he lay prone on the ground and once the furore had died down, referee Bas Nijhuis issued him with a red card, prompting a furious reaction from the AZ players and Alvarado himself.
Alvarado’s reaction might have been a tad on the excessive side, but the attack was completely unprovoked and Alkmaar’s outrage was underlined when coach Gertjan Verbeek ordered his side off the pitch and the game was subsequently abandoned.
The Dutch FA rescinded Alvarado’s red card last night, saying that Alvarado’s reaction was triggered by the unprovoked attack on him and “will not result in a ban”.
The fan in question had previously been banned from the Amsterdam Arena for a year after a run-in with security officials, but snuck into Wednesday night’s game after a friend had bought him a ticket. He has now subsequently been banned for life from all Ajax matches.
Interestingly enough, the Dutch Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten also added his two cents on the incident, saying that the attack was “beastly” and that “jerks and nuts don’t belong on the field”.
“I have a lot of respect for how he acted,” Opstelten said.
“Intervene immediately, that warms my heart.”
Ajax director Jeroen Slop apologised for the incident and said that the fan had “in all likelihood been drinking.” Really Jeroen, ya think?
If you haven’t yet seen the incident, or just want a reminder of what was quite an astonishing attack, check it out here.
