Ajax striker Wout Weghorst has come in for intense criticism for celebrating a goal after Adam Szalai’s collapse in the Nations League.
Hungary coach Szalai was taken ill during the clash on Saturday night and players instantly formed a human shield in emotional scenes while he received treatment and later recovered in hospital.
The match was able to continue, and shortly after the stoppage, Weghorst scored a penalty and celebrated wildly.
Reacting to the scenes on TV, former Dutch regular Rafael van der Vaart said: “When you score and celebrate like Wout Weghorst did, it really turns my stomach.
“The Hungarian players chose to continue playing, which is commendable. We get a penalty, we score and we celebrate as if we had just won the World Cup.”
Teammate Ryan Gravenberch could understand the anger, saying: “It’s a delicate situation, Wout decided to celebrate but it’s a personal choice.”
However, coach Ronald Koeman was far more defiant, adding: “I didn’t see it exactly his reaction but he has the right to be happy to have scored the penalty.
“It’s easy to say that we shouldn’t celebrate like that when they (the Hungarians) are the ones who chose to continue playing – and we can applaud them for that.”
Koeman would call those complaining online ‘brainless idiots’ while Weghorst on his part was remorseful.
“I didn’t think about that (the incident) at all, I was stressed when I shot,” he said. “In hindsight, I understand the negative reactions but it (the celebration) simply reflected a relief on my part.
“After the fact, you say to yourself that it could have been done more calmly, in a more respectful way towards them. Maybe I should have acted differently.”
The Netherlands went on to win the match 4-0, and Szalai later confirmed he was doing OK, writing on social media: “Thanks for all the messages, I’m fine.”
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