Go Ahead Eagles fine player for mocking opponent born with cleft lip
Go Ahead Eagles have fined their forward Victor Edvardsen 500 euros for mocking VfB Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller over the size of his nose during Thursday evening’s UEFA Europa League match between the two sides. The Swedish striker committed a foul on a Stuttgart player before making two offensive gestures toward the 24-year-old, who was born with a cleft lip, a condition that affects the appearance of the nose and lip.
“The things that were said and done between us shouldn’t happen on a football field. After the match, I went to Stuttgart’s locker room to apologize. As a player with a role-model responsibility, I have to behave accordingly,” the forward said in a statement on Thursday.
Stuttgart’s players immediately confronted Edvardsen in anger after seeing the gesture. They were 3-0 up at the time, with the forward coming off the bench in the Adelaarshorst during the game.
Edvardsen initially refused to apologize for his actions after the game. “I didn’t speak with him after the match and therefore didn’t offer an apology. Will I apologize later? I have no idea. Emotions are part of football, and he also yells things at me that go unseen. He could just as easily be the one to offer an apology.”
The incident was seen by the television cameras, and it led to anger from Ziggo Sport analyst and former player Wesley Sneijder. “As a club, you should pull him aside and insist he apologize. Players are supposed to set an example, and children are watching; they shouldn’t grow up thinking this kind of behavior is acceptable. If you ask me, he’s out of line. The longer I talk about it, the angrier I get.”
Melvin Boel, Go Ahead Eagles’ first team manager, refused to comment on the situation after being shown replays. “I don’t see anything; I wouldn’t know what to look for,” the coach told Ziggo Sport after watching the footage. “You’ll have to ask Edvardsen directly what happened. I’ll still talk it over with Victor. I’ve already given my answer,” Boel said sharply, responding to repeated questions about the Swede’s actions.
This was in contrast to the team captain, Mats Deijl, who stated in the post-match press conference that his teammate had to apologize for his actions. The game eventually finished in a 4-0 victory for Stuttgart.
