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<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Fortuna briefly had 12 players on pitch</li><li>Eredivisie match returned to 11 vs 11</li><li>Van Persie fuming as game ends 2-2</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

Robin van Persie's Heerenveen forced to play against 12 men! Incredible refereeing error clouds Dutch Eredivisie match with Fortuna Sittard

<p>With Van Persie's Heerenveen 2-1 up with two minutes remaining, the visitors brought on Ryan Fosso and Jasper Dahlhaus for Darijo Grujcic and Owen Johnson. However, Dahlhaus stayed on the pitch for nearly a minute before the ex-Manchester United and Arsenal striker notified the officials of their mistake. A minute later, the 11 men of Fortuna equalised to snatch the three points from Van Persie's team. Naturally, he was livid at full-time.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>He said, via <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/43661228/heerenveen-robin-van-persie-rails-unthinkable-referee-error" target="_blank">ESPN</a>: "I find what preceded that goal very special. Fortuna Sittard had 12 men on the field for a minute before that throw-in. Apparently that is allowed and possible. You can't imagine that? That it is simply allowed. Normally I never talk to referees and always let them do their job, but it can't be that they play with twelve men. That's unthinkable. So I asked the fourth official: 'Shouldn't you do something about that?'"</p><p>When asked what he'd like to see done, Van Persie mused: "For example, reverse that goal. You can't play with twelve men against eleven. I really can't understand that. I think this is really scandalous."</p>

WHAT ROBIN VAN PERSIE SAID

<p>The result means eighth-positioned Fortuna stay one point and two places ahead of Heerenveen, but if they had held on for the win, they would have leapfrogged their opponents in the Eredivisie. Moreover, they would have been 10 points clear of the relegation zone. This is another bad day for putting your trust in referees and matchday officials.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Van Persie's Heerenveen will look to bounce back from this setback when they take on FC Twente next Sunday in the league.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

Robin van Persie's Heerenveen forced to play against 12 men! Incredible refereeing error clouds Dutch Eredivisie match with Fortuna Sittard | Goal.com

Robin van Persie was left fuming after Fortuna Sittard were briefly allowed to field 12 players against his Heerenveen side.