Peter Bosz Reacts to Sven Mijnans’s Bizarre Sunlight Explanation After PSV Defeat
PSV manager Peter Bosz was left momentarily speechless after hearing an unusual explanation for Sven Mijnans’s costly dismissal in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to ADO Den Haag. The midfielder reportedly said that the sun had affected him during the run-up to the challenge that earned him a second yellow card—an explanation that prompted a memorable pause from his coach.
PSV had taken the lead and looked on course for a routine away result before the match turned sharply against them. Mijnans scored in the 21st minute, but his evening ended just before half-time. A late tackle on Pascal Mulder brought a second booking in the 43rd minute, leaving the visitors to play the rest of the contest with ten men.
Bosz calls the second yellow “stupid”
After the final whistle, ESPN presenter Hans Kraay junior asked Bosz whether he blamed Mijnans for the red card. The PSV coach resisted framing the incident as a question of blame, but he did not hide his assessment of the decision.
“Well, I never really talk in terms of blame,” Bosz said. He then added that Mijnans had picked up a “stupid second yellow card,” a blunt verdict on a moment that significantly changed the game’s balance.
Kraay then relayed the explanation the midfielder had reportedly offered after the match. Mijnans said that, during the final stretch before the challenge, he had been running in the sun. Bosz repeated the idea as a question—“He was badly affected by the sun?”—and paused before responding with a brief, smiling “Okay.” He offered no further comment.
A difficult moment in a costly defeat
The exchange quickly became one of the most talked-about details from a result that will frustrate PSV. Mijnans had given his team a strong start with a well-taken opening goal, but his dismissal left Bosz with a tactical problem and his players facing a long spell under pressure.
Playing with ten men can force a side to retreat, adjust its shape and spend more energy defending. It can also limit a team’s ability to maintain possession or create attacking opportunities. PSV nevertheless went into half-time ahead at 1-0, but ADO Den Haag eventually turned the match around to claim a 2-1 victory.
The red card was an obvious turning point, but Bosz was careful not to use it as a complete explanation for the defeat. He argued that PSV had areas to improve even if Mijnans had remained on the pitch. “We can do better. Even with eleven men, I think,” the manager said.
“We must not lose” to ADO, says PSV coach
Bosz was also clear about the standard he expects from his team. While losing a player makes any away match more difficult, he said PSV should not have lost to ADO Den Haag, regardless of whether they had eleven players or ten.
“All in all, of course we must not lose to ADO. Not with eleven, not with ten,” he said. The comments underline a broader concern for the Dutch side: discipline matters, but so does the ability to respond when a match takes an unexpected turn.
For PSV, the defeat will invite scrutiny of both the sending-off and the team’s performance after it. A numerical disadvantage can explain why a match becomes harder; it does not automatically explain every defensive lapse, missed opportunity or failure to control the tempo. Bosz’s remarks suggest he expects his players to examine the full performance rather than focus solely on the referee’s cards or Mijnans’s explanation.
Why the incident matters for PSV’s next fixtures
The episode arrives at a demanding point in PSV’s schedule, with a Champions League meeting against POR listed for 21 October 2026 and an Eredivisie match against HEE on 25 October. The team will need to move quickly from the disappointment in Den Haag and restore its focus across competitions.
Mijnans’s dismissal may also prompt discussion about decision-making under pressure. Players often have only a split second to judge a challenge, but a second booking can have an outsized effect on a team’s chances. Whether sunlight played any role is impossible to establish from the brief post-match exchange. What is clear is that Bosz saw the tackle itself as an avoidable mistake.
For supporters following the football conversation, the moment offered an unusual mix of frustration and humour: a costly red card, an unexpected explanation and a coach who chose not to turn the interview into a public argument. Bosz’s understated “Okay” said little about whether he accepted Mijnans’s reasoning, but his assessment of the challenge was unmistakable.
PSV prediction: response will matter more than excuses
Any prediction for PSV’s next outings will depend on how effectively the team responds to this setback. The squad has the quality to recover, but Bosz will want greater discipline and a more complete performance, especially when circumstances become difficult. A strong start, fewer unnecessary bookings and better control of key moments could help PSV put the ADO defeat behind them.
The result is a reminder that football matches are shaped by more than one incident. Mijnans’s red card changed the contest, but PSV’s own coach has already pointed to the need for improvement with or without a full complement of players. For a side with ambitions in the Eredivisie and Europe, the most important response will come on the pitch.
