Feyenoord was already at a disadvantage, because PSV took European action on Tuesday evening. Feyenoord played early on Thursday evening, but the time of 6.45 pm was a big draw on the authority of the authorities who received advice from meteorologists.
Trainer Robin van Persie says: “It seems like a fair request to the KNVB. We don’t have an answer yet, but I think it has a chance of success. Otherwise we will not make such a request. When I heard on Thursday that after a long day of waiting for a decision on whether or not to play that it was finally nine o’clock in the evening, I was not happy. That was even shorter after the match against PSV.”
Robin van Persie speaks ‘absolute top match’
Van Persie sees the match between his team, which is the leader in the Eredivisie, and Peter Bosz’s formation as the ‘absolute top match’ of the first half of the season in the Netherlands. “Yes, because if you look at the past period, Feyenoord and PSV are the best teams over a longer period of time. We’re going to compete against each other now. Two attacking teams, each with their own style and different patterns. I’m really looking forward to that,” adds the Feyenoord coach.
Feyenoord settles with Panathinaikos after Robin van Persie’s warning: ‘We did that better in the future’
But this must be done under circumstances that are not too far apart. The circumstances are certainly not the same, because Bosz and his team have five days of recovery and preparation. Van Persie was still telling his story in a press room of the stadium after midnight on Thursday and his players did not arrive home until well after midnight.
“Our players also played on a very tough field due to the heavy rain on the day of the match. Now you have 48 hours to recover and this day has already been very difficult due to the chaotic preparation.
Feyenoord settles with Panathinaikos after Robin van Persie’s warning: ‘We did that better in the future’
PSV will be included in Feyenoord’s request. Van Persie does not yet know how the people of Eindhoven will react to it. “But Peter Bosz will also want to play a nice evening match, right?”