Willem van Hanegem has sharply criticized Wout Weghorst and Tolu following the match between FC Twente and Ajax.
The two players drew heavy scrutiny from the former international after they decided to pray together directly on the pitch after the final whistle. Following the 2-2 draw, the striker from Borne celebrated enthusiastically after securing the equalizer from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
While discussing the encounter in his column for the Algemeen Dagblad, Van Hanegem expressed his bewilderment at the public display. Despite his strong words regarding the post-match prayer, the Feyenoord legend remained highly complimentary of Weghorst’s performance on the field during the 2-2 draw, noting that the visitors deserved to leave the pitch with a point as Amsterdam dropped points.
Van Hanegem took issue with the fact that Weghorst and Tolu chose a very public location for their religious observance. He argued that the moment felt less genuine because it was performed right in front of the cameras.
Tolu en Weghorst gingen samen bidden. Dat vonden ze zelf niet gek en dat is juist het gekke,
Van Hanegem wrote in his column, as reported by Twenteinsite. The former player also admitted in the podcast Willem & Wessel that he is annoyed when players point to the heaven after scoring or fall to their knees after a goal.
Aside from his remarks on the post-match behavior, Van Hanegem was full of praise for how Weghorst handled himself during the fixture. The striker proved to be a constant thorn in the side of the Ajax defense and successfully converted a stoppage-time penalty to seal the draw. The Feyenoord icon remarked that FC Twente does not fall short of the traditional top three.
Reflecting on the match dynamics, Van Hanegem noted that the defender had no answer for the forward’s physical presence. Bouwman had totaal geen vat op hem en die penalty schoot hij toch weer uitstekend binnen,
the former international stated.
Van Hanegem also criticized Lucas Rosa for pulling an opponent's shirt in the final stages, and referee Joey Kooij for halting play to review a potential Ajax penalty while FC Twente was advancing toward a 2-2 opportunity.
The forward’s celebrations drew heavy condemnation online from supporters in the capital, where he is now considered a persona non grata. Users on the social media platform X expressed intense anger over his past association with the club.
Ik schaam mij kapot dat die GGZ patiënt Weghorst ooit een Ajax shirt heeft gedragen. Gore rat,
wrote user @TheFarioliEra.