Wout Weghorst’s late equalizer for FC Twente against Ajax on Sunday has drawn sharp disapproval from Wesley Sneijder, who labeled the striker’s post-goal celebration as excessive.
The goal, scored deep into stoppage time, prompted Weghorst to celebrate directly with the home supporters, a move that Sneijder believes ignored the player’s recent history with the Amsterdam club. “Is he a bit crazy? He is stark raving mad,” Sneijder said during the television program Rondo on Monday, as reported by VoetbalPrimeur. Sneijder pointed to the irony of the celebration, noting that during his two-year stint at Ajax, Weghorst frequently performed a cross gesture with his arms after scoring. Despite the criticism of his demeanor, Sneijder acknowledged the striker’s functional importance to the Enschede side.
“It is indisputable that he is an important player for Twente,” Sneijder said. Let it go.”
Theo Janssen offered a nuanced assessment of Weghorst’s role during the same broadcast. “Weghorst has achieved everything purely through his effort.
You have to have a lot of respect for that,” Janssen told VoetbalPrimeur. However, he cautioned against overstating the striker’s influence on the pitch. “He is just not a leader in the team. He runs his legs off, but I don’t think he talks about tactics. He has a lot of value for the team, but we shouldn’t make him bigger than he is.”
The match between FC Twente and Ajax also gained attention for an event occurring after the final whistle, when Wout Weghorst and Ajax player Tolu Arokodare were seen praying together on the center circle. The incident was documented by ESPN, leading to varied reactions in the Dutch media.
According to NRC, the display sparked debate regarding the role of religion in football coverage. While some commentators, including The Telegraaf Valentijn Driessen, questioned the editorial decision to highlight the prayer, Weghorst addressed the moment in later interviews.
He explained that he and Arokodare have known each other for some time and frequently discuss football and faith, making their post-match interaction a personal gesture rather than a public demonstration.
The question of whether such displays should be a focus of sports broadcasting remains a point of contention among media outlets. As of Monday, neither the clubs nor the players have indicated that the post-match interaction will change their future preparations or on-field behavior.