Ramiz Zerrouki criticised referee Joey Kooij after FC Twente were held to a 2-2 draw by Ajax, questioning both the timing of an interruption and the decision to stop play during a potentially decisive attack.

The FC Twente midfielder said he could not understand why Kooij blew his whistle just as his side regained possession, then waited another minute before consulting the video assistant referee (VAR).

“You cannot blow the whistle like that, it is really crucial,” Zerrouki told ESPN. “Things would really have to go badly for us not to score.”

He was particularly frustrated by the sequence of events that followed the interception.

“What I do not understand is that he blows his whistle just as we win the ball back and then waits another minute before consulting VAR,” said the Algeria international. “You just have to keep playing for a minute. If you hear that VAR needs to be consulted, then you have to stop the game.”

Zerrouki also backed the penalty awarded to FC Twente late in the match, despite his own strong reaction to the decision.

“I think my protest shows how confident I am,” he said. “I am convinced it was a penalty. I felt as though I was being held. I was really impeded.”

The midfielder believes the frustration caused by the earlier incident helped FC Twente maintain their intensity until the final whistle, although he admitted the result was disappointing.

“It may have spurred us on a little, and we continued fighting until the final seconds,” Zerrouki said. “In the end, it is a 2-2 draw, but we are very disappointed.”

Asked whether FC Twente could now begin to consider the league title, Zerrouki responded with caution.

“I am a Twente supporter now, so we remain modest,” he said with a laugh.

“We are competitive and we show our potential in important matches. But obviously, there is still a long way to go. We will take it step by step.

“The fact that we drew with Ajax says a lot about our disappointment.”