Referee Got It Right, Says Kuyt
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt has denied that referee Pieter Vink refused Arsenal a penalty because the two Dutchmen know each other
Dirk Kuyt has denied that the referee in Liverpool's first-leg Champions League tie with Arsenal did him a favor in not awarding a penalty against him - despite the fact that they grew up in the same part of Holland and have met several times before.
Pieter Vink turned down Arsenal appeals for a second-half penalty, after what looked like a clear tug by Kuyt on Alexander Hleb. Vink is from Noordwijkerhout, a small town close to Amsterdam with a population of around 15,000. Kuyt's home town of Katwijk aan Zee is only five miles away, and the striker admitted to having played in a number of games in which Vink officiated. He was adamant, however, that Vink made a "good decision" in waving play on.
"I think the referee got the decision right," said Kuyt. "I did touch Hleb but I didn't pull his shirt or hold him. It was close to be fair but he didn't deserve a penalty. I do know the referee. I played in Holland lots of times where he was the referee and he was the official when we played Feyenoord earlier this season. We both come from the same area. He comes from Leiden and that is the place where I grew up."
"It is wrong, though, to say that, because I know the referee, he made decisions in my favor. He made a good decision against Arsenal with the penalty. There were no favors."
The Dutch international scored Liverpool's equalizer just three minutes after Emmanuel Adebayor's opener in the 1-1 draw, giving Liverpool an important away goal ahead of next week's second-leg at Anfield.
Pieter Vink turned down Arsenal appeals for a second-half penalty, after what looked like a clear tug by Kuyt on Alexander Hleb. Vink is from Noordwijkerhout, a small town close to Amsterdam with a population of around 15,000. Kuyt's home town of Katwijk aan Zee is only five miles away, and the striker admitted to having played in a number of games in which Vink officiated. He was adamant, however, that Vink made a "good decision" in waving play on.
"I think the referee got the decision right," said Kuyt. "I did touch Hleb but I didn't pull his shirt or hold him. It was close to be fair but he didn't deserve a penalty. I do know the referee. I played in Holland lots of times where he was the referee and he was the official when we played Feyenoord earlier this season. We both come from the same area. He comes from Leiden and that is the place where I grew up."
"It is wrong, though, to say that, because I know the referee, he made decisions in my favor. He made a good decision against Arsenal with the penalty. There were no favors."
The Dutch international scored Liverpool's equalizer just three minutes after Emmanuel Adebayor's opener in the 1-1 draw, giving Liverpool an important away goal ahead of next week's second-leg at Anfield.
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