The Weapon on the Pitch: Ruben van Bommel's Collision with Aaron Bouman – The Referee's Major Critic

That moment happened in the 85th minute of the Eredivisie match between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, right at De Kuip stadium. Ruben van Bommel, 35-year-old striker for PSV, jumped up to contest the ball in the air, not for a header but to crush his opponent. Aaron Bouman, 25-year-old centre-back for Ajax, was trying to catch his breath after 85 minutes of fatigue when a strong collision came from behind. Not a fall, not a tumble, but enough to make Bouman clutch his chest in pain and be substituted immediately. Bouman had to be rushed straight to the hospital. That was not a normal football collision. It was a moment on the pitch that the stands could not ignore.