Today at 9:00 PM • Updated today at 10:06 PM
In Tilburg on Monday, one bitterball after another flies through the air towards Swedish influencer Jacob Ågren. He collects the snacks with his chest out, after a lost World Cup football bet that he made on social media.
It all started after the match between Sweden and Tunisia, says Jacob. He said he was ‘a bit arrogant’ at the time and decided to make a bet with his Dutch followers on TikTok. If the Netherlands won the World Cup match against Sweden, they would be allowed to pelt him with bitterballs. If Sweden won, he would throw meatballs himself.
The Dutch team made mincemeat of the Swedes on Saturday and won 5-1. The influencer kept his word. A day earlier it was the turn of the Nijmegen residents and on Monday he cycled to Tilburg to be pelted. His journey does not stop there: he cycles from Sweden all the way to Portugal.
Bitterballs everywhere
At four o’clock in the afternoon the time had come. Jacob was literally given bitterballs in Tilburg and it didn’t stop there. “There were a lot of bitterballen, both warm and frozen, and they really ended up everywhere,” he says afterwards. He was hit in the stomach, his face and also his own ‘meatballs‘ were not spared.
Not only the bitterballen were hot. The heat in the Netherlands surprised him. “I didn’t know it was so hot in the Netherlands,” he says. He thought the climate would be more like Sweden, but with 34 degrees that was clearly not the case. Fortunately, one of the attackers had given him an ice bucket to cool himself down.
A good supply of ammunition
For many visitors it is mainly an afternoon of fun and something they did not want to miss. They came across the campaign through social media, and that was enough reason to come to Tilburg. “He was making fun of the Netherlands online, and then we thought: we want to be there,” says a girl who has just finished throwing. “I missed a lot unfortunately, but I really enjoyed it.”
Julian (21) couldn’t pass up this offer. He combined it with a break from his studies. “We are busy with our thesis, so this is a nice distraction in the heat.” Maximus (20) also did not come empty-handed. He had brought a large supply of bitterballs with him to throw. “I wanted to have enough ammunition and I succeeded,” he says, laughing.
Two young people arrive just too late at the place where it all happens. For a moment it seems like they are missing the moment. “Are we too late? Has it happened yet?” they wonder. But Jacob is not the most difficult and allows himself to be pelted a second time.
Bitterball fight in Tilburg (photo: Floortje Steigenga).
Brabant culture
Despite the bizarre action, Jacob enjoys the trip and the encounters. The Dutch word that has stuck with him most so far is clearly: cozy. “It was a lot of fun. Lots of nice people coming by,” he says. “That’s nice.”
Not only does he experience the Dutch delights of bitterballen and conviviality, he also experiences Brabant culture. In a hostel someone plays him a familiar song. He then proudly plays Brabant by Guus Meeuwis. “That’s great.”
The action does not seem to be a fixed recipe for the future and, according to Jacob, it is not intended to be repeated with every match. So Japan doesn’t have to prepare for a sushi battle. And that may be a good thing, because afterwards there were quite a few bitterballs left on the Tilburg ground. These were not cleaned up after the action.
