Mexx Meerdrink follows in the footsteps of father Martijn after reaching the Conference League semi-finals with AZ | Foreign football

“I haven’t spoken to him yet. I will call him in a bit to hear what he has to say,” said Meerdink in the AFAS Stadium. The teenager came in towards the end of the first overtime. The attacker did not hesitate for a moment when it came to penalties. “I immediately let it be known that I wanted to take a penalty.”

Meerdink actually wanted to claim the fifth penalty kick, but Riechedly Bazoer beat him to it. That’s why it became the fourth, but that was the decisive one because of two misses by Anderlecht. “It was a nice walk to the penalty spot. I bounced the ball about five more times and was completely focused. If you shoot it like that, that’s wonderful. You want nothing but to be important to the team.”

Trainer Pascal Jansen enjoyed the way Meerdink claimed the penalty kick and then shot it in. “He has a very clean and steady kick. At the moment, Mexx is full of self-confidence.” The AZ coach will not let Meerdink go to Geneva today to join the selection of AZ under 19, which will compete against Sporting Portugal’s peers in the semi-finals of the Youth League at 1 p.m. This is partly due to the injured striker Vangelis Pavlidis. Jansen therefore keeps Meerdink in the selection for Sunday’s league match against RKC Waalwijk.

Meerdink is not talking about that. ,,I do understand it. Hopefully I can still participate in the final on Monday.” If AZ’s talents beat Sporting, a meeting with AC Milan or Hajduk Split awaits.