Goalkeeper who kicked a hooligan running onto the pitch rehabilitated (VIDEO) © EuroFootball.com

T

he Dutch Football Federation has cancelled the referee's decision to give a red card to Alkmaar AZ goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado.

An incident occurred in the 38th minute of the country's cup tournament match against Amsterdam's "Ajax" when a 19-year-old troublemaker ran onto the field and attempted to kick Alvarado. The Costa Rican goalkeeper stood his ground, defended himself, and severely kicked the hooligan.

The referee assessed such behavior with a red card, but the outraged AZ team refused to continue the game. "Ajax" later apologized for security gaps.