Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst has come in for sharp criticism in his own country for zealously celebrating a penalty he netted against Hungary on Saturday minutes after an opposition coach collapsed and was taken to hospital.
The Nations League clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena was stopped seven minutes after kickoff when Adam Szalai collapsed. The 36-year-old could be seen lying on the ground next to the team’s bench with his legs twitching, as staff and substitutes quickly formed a protective barrier around him.
The match was delayed for 13 minutes and Szalai taken by ambulance to hospital, where he has since recovered.
Immediately on resumption, a VAR decision gave the Dutch a penalty which Weghorst converted for a 1-0 lead.
The striker ran towards the corner flag, sliding to his knees, making a lion gesture with his hands and clenching his fist towards the Dutch fans.
But the celebration did not sit well with many in the Netherlands and he was castigated on Dutch television, in newspaper columns and on social media.
“A bit of subdued cheering would have been appropriate.,” said television pundit and former international Pierre van Hooijdonk.
Weghorst was initially unaware of any wrongdoing. “I never thought for a moment that this could come across as unpleasant,” he told reporters after the 4-0 victory.
“In retrospect, you think, ‘would it have been more respectful to cheer less exuberantly?’ Let it be clear that his life is more important than my goal. I hope I don’t have to explain that to anyone.”
Weghorst emphasised that he knew Szalai’s condition was stable when he scored.
“Taking a penalty is normally exciting but I think this was one of my most difficult penalties ever,” he said. “When you score it, there is pure relief and release. That’s why I didn’t realise how I was cheering.”
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk stood up for his teammate.
“I didn’t think the celebration was exaggerated at all,” said Van Dijk. “Hungary made the choice to continue playing. Then you get on with playing the match continues. That people don’t like it when you cheer… well, you can’t please everyone.”
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ed Osmond)
