Esteban Alvarado Kicks Fan: Goalkeeper Gets Red Card After Fan Interupts Ajax-AZ Alkmaar Match (VIDEO)

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Dutch soccer federation is debating whether to replay a cup match between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar that was halted after a fan ran onto the field and tried to attack Alkmaar's goalkeeper.

Esteban Alvarado deflected the attack but was given a red card for kicking the supporter in anger immediately afterward.

Alkmaar's team left the field in protest and the game was halted in the 36th minute. Ajax was leading 1-0. The players' union has demanded that the red card be retracted.

The federation said Thursday it will decide soon whether Wednesday's match should be replayed, resumed, or have Ajax declared the winner.

The 19-year-old supporter is in police custody along with 25 others arrested in disturbances during and after the match.

Ajax director Jeroen Slop said the supporter had already been banned from the stadium for a year because of a previous run-in with security guards, but managed to sneak into the cup match with a ticket purchased by a friend. Ajax has changed the sanction to a lifetime ban from all Ajax matches.

Slop apologized for the security lapse, and he said AZ had accepted the apology.

In an unusual move, the country's justice minister Ivo Opstelten got involved in the debate, saying the attack was "beastly" and that "jerks and nuts don't belong on the field." He added that he thought Alkmaar coach Gertjan Verbeek was right to walk out under the circumstances.

"I have a lot of respect for how he acted," Opstelten said. "Intervene immediately, that warms my heart."

Comments

[ZeroCoke]

04:07 PM on 12/26/2011

the ref should have been drop-kicked as well

[Seaniebhoy]

12:48 PM on 12/28/2011

Why? His job is to officiate the actions of the players. The stewards are responsible for supporters being stupid. The supporter will be arrested, but the player showed a violent reaction to the supporter and was rightfully sent off.

[ZeroCoke]

03:41 PM on 12/28/2011

What did you expect the keeper to do. Stand there and get assaulted? He was defending himself. The fan might have had a weapon. It was sudden and unexpected. He had to subdue the yahoo. The keeper didn't start this.

[linton]

01:26 PM on 12/26/2011

Goal keeper did the right thing. Referee should have shown the red card to the unruly fan.

[Seaniebhoy]

12:49 PM on 12/28/2011

What if the fan had taken a kick in the head and died? Will we be appluading the keeper in that instance? The keeper HAD to be sent off for violent conduct.

[linton]

07:08 AM on 12/29/2011

That is why the stands or seating area was created for the fans. Fans are supposed to be off the field. BTW, will you be asking the same question if the goalie had taken a kick in the head or something worse?

[SoccerStop]

08:56 AM on 12/26/2011

Hey Guys,

I have mixed feelings about this situation. I mean, the goalkeeper got a red card for an obvious "dangerous" play, but this was to a man outside the players. I think that this is the right decision since the referee has control over the players during the 90+ mins of the game of which this took place...so I think this was the right decision. What do you guys think?

[AAHewetson]

01:35 PM on 12/26/2011

I think that, while a player has no right to defend himself from another player or an official, a player does have the absolute right to defend himself against a spectator. This red card seems more than a bit much.

Look at it another way; given that the security staff at you average soccer game spends most of their time dining on doughnuts, if you know what I mean, it will take an age and then some for security to deal with an unruly fan. In the meantime, is it reasonable to expect the players to stand for a beating?

[Seaniebhoy]

12:50 PM on 12/28/2011

The keeper deserved to be sent off, maybe even arrested. The supporter was down on the ground and no longer a danger, yet the keeper kept on aiming kicks at the man's head. If the supporter had died as a result of his injuries, then the sending off would be the least of Alvarado's problems.

[Chase Bozin]

02:54 AM on 12/24/2011

constitute the use of game rules for resolution**

[Chase Bozin]

02:53 AM on 12/24/2011

Since when do interferences and crimes during a game constitute the use of game rules for resolution. End play during his interference and start as soon as he has been removed.

[bahkey]

06:01 PM on 12/23/2011

It would have been more fun to watch if they used their fist, lolol

[kwapiv]

02:49 PM on 12/23/2011

That looked like self-defense to me, I could be wrong but this fan already had a history of problems; moreover he had the audacity to run onto the field and attack a player; I think its self defense and the red card is nonsense.

[AAHewetson]

02:12 PM on 12/23/2011

I think this falls under the heading of self-defense. Unless the fan was unconscious or controlled, he still represented a threat to the goalkeeper. What a ridiculous red card.

[Louie Rey]

10:40 AM on 12/23/2011

Soccer apparently is the only audience participation sport on the planet. How many times do you see something along these lines at a soccer match? More often than not the "participation" usually takes place in the stands but occasionally the hooligans that attend these sporting events try and get in on the action in the field of play. And to think that this actually is the world's most popular sport.

[Michelledc]

10:10 AM on 12/23/2011

That olayer did the right thing. He had no idea just what all the guy could have been planning on doing. For all he knew the intruder could have had a knife, or broken bottle to slash him with. Truly self defense, even if he did kick him once he was on the ground. And don't give me that crud of we are ferociously backing our teams, deep fans, etc. No other sport creates such a stupid array of fans that soccer. IT'S JUST A GAME!! Go to watch them play, not try and get involved. All sports have thier diehard fans, but youdon't see fans running out onto the field like they think they can make a change in the game.

[Vincent E Summerlin Sr]

09:57 AM on 12/23/2011

Seeing how the fan is not a participant in the game. Who is the beneficiary of the red card. Oh, the home team that couldn't control their fan that had been banned before. Make sense. Sure. Goallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

[zonel]

09:20 AM on 12/23/2011

The official who gave him a red card should be banned for life. The incident had nothing to do with the game. Whether he kicked the fan late or not, it was not a game issue. You never know when the fan is a crazed lunatic who might pull out a gun next....Kicking him one last time for good measure might stop that attack....
I congratulate the coach for walking his team off the field.

[Pugiron]

09:08 AM on 12/23/2011

Always good to see a soccer fan get hurt.

[jjtm562]

08:39 AM on 12/23/2011

Another case for banning booze in stadiums.

[Seaniebhoy]

12:54 PM on 12/28/2011

LOL....you don't think people are drinking on the way to the match?
That's the best part of going to a match....pubs are packed and the grounds (if they do serve alchohol) will charge you a ransom for a single pint...no most get langered on coach ride to the match with other "like minded" (i.e. heavy drinking) supporters.

[DavEsch]

08:32 AM on 12/23/2011

soccer is not a sport... it's hours upon hours of fairy boys running around after a spotted ball.