'Ends up with a bloody nose' - Union St. Gilloise striker David slams referee for not awarding penalty

Union Saint-Gilloise striiker Promise David has hit out at the referee for failing to award a late penalty in their Europa League clash against Ajax, claiming his teammate Kevin Rodríguez was unfairly denied a crucial spot-kick after suffering a bloody nose from an aerial challenge with goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.

Despite winning the second leg 2-1 at the Johan Cruijff Arena, Union Saint-Gilloise were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate, with Ajax advancing to the last 16. 

However, the Belgian club felt hard done by, particularly over the referee’s decision not to review the controversial incident in stoppage time.

Speaking to HLN, via Bold after the match, the Nigerian striker did not hold back in his criticism. 

"We all saw it, it was practically an attack,” he said.

 "When the goalkeeper almost punches a player in the face and he ends up with a bloody nose, you would think the referees would at least look at the footage. But that wasn't the case."

Rodríguez was left bleeding after colliding with Pasveer in the box, but Union’s appeals were dismissed, and no VAR review was conducted. 

With the match finely poised at 3-2 on aggregate, a penalty could have changed the outcome, adding to the frustration of the visitors.

"We feel cheated," David continued. “But that’s football. We gave everything, and we are proud of what we have achieved in this tournament.”

The match had already been filled with drama before the late incident. Union Saint-Gilloise had overturned their 2-0 first-leg deficit with goals from Kevin Mac Allister and David’s penalty. 

But Ajax found a lifeline in the 93rd minute when Kenneth Taylor converted a penalty of his own after Anouar Ait El Hadj was penalized for a handball.

That goal ultimately sealed Ajax’s progression, but the Belgian side believed they should have had a chance to equalize from the spot in the dying moments. 

The sight of Rodríguez bleeding heavily only fueled their anger, as the referee waved away their appeals.

While Ajax move on in the competition, Union Saint-Gilloise are left to reflect on what might have been, with David’s words summing up the frustration of a team that believed they were denied a fair chance to fight for qualification.

Wale Adejumo

Photo Credit: rusg.brussels

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