Yesterday at 23:55 • Modified today at 00:32
FC Den Bosch has managed to reach the play-offs and the players are happy to celebrate that. Still, it was a strange match, according to Jeffry Fortes and Danny Verbeek. Although they also believe that the media has made it bigger than necessary.
“I think the match was made much bigger by the media. We only got our turn if Vitesse would have won, but it is true that it was a crazy scenario. All’s well that ends well,” concludes defender Jeffry Fortes.
“With ADO Den Haag you are dealing with the champion of the Kitchen Champion Division, so it is very easy to say that we were consciously going to lose,” he continues. In the end it became 1-3 for the visitors. Willem II also won (1-2 at FC Dordrecht), so the result at Vitesse no longer mattered. Although the match in Leeuwarden was stopped at 2-1, because Vitesse fans threw fireworks several times.
“It’s very bad what the media did.”
Danny Verbeek also agrees with Fortes’ words. The 35-year-old native of Den Bosch received a beautiful farewell on Friday evening in De Vliert Stadium because he will retire as a professional after this season. “I think it is very bad what the media did. Ultimately you are dealing with a lot of young guys. And if everyone says: you have to lose and one of those guys makes a mistake, then it would have been said that he did that on purpose.”
“We discussed this in advance and said to each other: if you can score, you will score. We have not let anything go,” says the retiring club legend. Goal scorer Rafi Wolters confirms this. “It was strange that the fans were cheering until ADO scored, but I understand that.”
“It’s going to be turbulent for a long time.”
Fortes thinks reaching the play-offs is already a reason to celebrate. “I think until the morning, they still have a festival here. Danny Verbeek is the man from Den Bosch and I think the whole city has gathered in front of the stadium. It is going to be restless for a long time and I am certainly part of that.”
Despite the party atmosphere, there is a training for the residents of Den Bosch on the program on Saturday. “I’m sure I sleep nearby. We have those beautiful bathtubs here and I think you can also take a dip in them,” laughs the experienced defender.
Next Wednesday, Almere City FC awaits in the first round of the play-offs. Enough time according to Fortes to recover from the match and the partying. “We still have quite a few days in between. You’ve worked hard for a whole year to get to this moment, so you can enjoy it too.”
