Van Boekel: The Dutch VAR veteran at the final crossroads of his career

On Saturday at the Amsterdam Arena, a moment in the 67th minute of Ajax – PSV created what I believe will shape the entire Dutch refereeing season. Ruben van Bommel lunged into the tackle at full speed, his left foot going straight into Aaron Bouwman's ankle. The whistle blew, the referee showed a yellow card. I sat in the press box, eyes fixed on the VAR screen, waiting for a nod from the operation room. Nothing happened. Pol van Boekel, the man behind the screen in Zeist, did not send the referee to the monitor. On Monday morning, Mike Verweij went on the De Telegraaf podcast with news that made me pause mid-sip of my coffee: van Boekel is on the verge of retiring midway through the 2026/25 season. Not at the end of the season, not after some final. In December or January, one of the Netherlands' most experienced VARs could leave the system. I recall the winter window of 2026, when I sat at La Commanderie watching a young trialist. Just like that discovery, this news didn't come from a press release but from a podcast statement — where professional truths often leak before official announcements. The context of this story goes beyond a single incident. Van Boekel, 49, is one of UEFA's most trusted VAR officials. Immediately after the error at the Amsterdam Arena, UEFA assigned him as VAR for Porto – Manchester City in the Champions League — the only match deemed truly significant in that round's group stage. This speaks volumes about his standing in the European refereeing system. Driessen, a KNVB board member, publicly defended van Boekel, calling him "highly regarded" and urging the federation to "think carefully before letting him go." But this story is not just about a VAR error. From my experience following matches over 38 years, I've learned that mid-season referee retirements rarely stem from a single event. They come from the accumulation of silent pressures. The Ajax – PSV match was merely the tipping point, the excuse for a 49-year-old man to look back at his journey. I've witnessed referees sitting in the VAR room for 90 minutes, eyes glued to screens, listening to every breath through their headsets. It's a job demanding absolute concentration, and at 49, with hundreds of matches behind him, van Boekel may have sensed his own limits. The key point Dutch media are missing is the difference between the VAR room of an Ajax – PSV match and that of a Porto – Manchester City match. Both carry pressure, but of entirely different kinds. In the Eredivisie match, van Boekel may have asked himself: can I still handle borderline situations in the domestic league, where every mistake is scrutinized under the media's magnifying glass? In the Champions League, UEFA protects him with a more structured operation, with better-trained VAR assistants. This difference, I believe, is why he chose to step back from the Eredivisie while still accepting European duties. I remember a phone call from an old agent in May 2026, begging me to find a club willing to take a young player on a free loan. Just like that situation, van Boekel's story is not simply a retirement decision. It's a negotiation between multiple parties: KNVB wants to keep an experienced figure, UEFA wants to use a proven VAR, and van Boekel himself wants to leave with dignity. Driessen understands this well when urging the federation to "think carefully." He knows that once van Boekel leaves, the Dutch refereeing system loses someone capable of reading matches at European level, and training a replacement takes years. But there's a counterintuitive angle I want to offer. The error in the Ajax – PSV match could be a test. KNVB may be using media criticism to create a dignified exit for van Boekel, allowing him to leave mid-season without being seen as fired. This explains why Driessen publicly defended him: they want van Boekel's image preserved intact, so he can continue working for UEFA without pressure from Dutch public opinion. In my profession, we call this a staged farewell. The real question is not whether van Boekel should retire. The real question is: is KNVB ready to let one of its best VARs go without a clear succession plan? I've witnessed too many refereeing systems collapse worldwide due to poor succession planning. The Netherlands, with its tradition of structured referee development, might be the exception. But if van Boekel leaves in December, who will replace him in the season's most critical matches? This is the question KNVB must answer before making its final decision. The empty stadium of 2026 had a sound that no journalist was taught to hear: the sound of contracts being signed. Now, in a packed Amsterdam Arena, I hear a different sound: the sound of a man quietly folding his tools. Van Boekel may officiate Porto – Manchester City as a final tribute from UEFA, then quietly walk away. In football, few get to choose how they exit. But with van Boekel, it seems he holds that opportunity — and the only question left is whether KNVB is wise enough to let him leave the way he wants.