Confident victory with a bitter aftertaste! The Dutch national team has qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
Coach Ronald Koeman’s (61) team is safely second in the German group after a 4-0 (2-0) win against Hungary. However, the game on Saturday (November 16, 2024) was overshadowed by a medical emergency in the early stages.
It’s not just Rafael van der Vaart who criticizes Wout Weghorst
After a few minutes of play, Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai (37) collapsed on the sidelines. The game in the Johan Cruijff Arena was immediately interrupted, paramedics rushed to the team’s coaching zone and treated the long-time Bundesliga professional.
During the first half, the Hungarian football association MLSZ announced that Szalai’s condition was stable and he was conscious. He was therefore transported by ambulance to an Amsterdam hospital for examination.
There had previously been dramatic scenes in the stadium. Silence spread, supervisors and substitutes formed a circle around Szalai while he was treated behind a privacy screen. Hungarian media reported resuscitation.
A lot of things were reminiscent of the drama surrounding the Danish star Christian Eriksen (32), who collapsed on the pitch at the 2021 European Championships and suffered a cardiac arrest. But then a bizarre scene occurred that left people stunned.
Long-time Bundesliga striker Wout Weghorst (32) converted a hand penalty for Oranje that was whistled shortly after the dramatic Szalai scene – and celebrated the goal as if nothing had happened. He slid across the lawn on his knees, his hands forming claws. TV expert Rafael van der Vaart (41) also took it out afterwards.
“When you score the goal and then celebrate like that… I get a stomach ache. A little more restraint would have been appropriate,” complained the former HSV star.
There was also a lot of headwind for Weghorst on social media, with users writing about it being a “disgrace”. It was also said again and again that Weghorst should “be ashamed”.
