‘Special’ said Ruud van Nistelrooij when asked about Bas Nijhuis. The referee’s performance was the subject of discussion after the victory over SC Heerenveen. The trainer was satisfied with what his team showed in Friesland, but fears the worst for Vertessen and Saibari, who were injured.
After the game, Ruud van Nistelrooij could only compliment his team. “Today, months of hard work come together. We have a young team and you want them to perform stably. I saw that today. It hasn’t been that stable until now.
The trainer continues his story: “It was often erratic in recent weeks. But we now play more compactly. There is more awareness within the team to tackle everything together. Today was a nice expression of the many work together.”
“Sometimes you see things happen and then it’s amazing that there’s no whistle”
Cody Gakpo claimed a leading role by stepping off the field as match winner. Yet there was another protagonist on the field. Bas Nijhuis stood out by letting a lot of football continue, which led to a lot of irritation among the people of Eindhoven. Van Nistelrooij reacted to the referee afterwards.
“Bass is unique. I like how he whistles. Sometimes you see things happen and then it is amazing that there is no whistle. You have also seen that surprise. Have I spoken to bass yet? I went to him and thanked him for the match. This was the first time I met him as a referee. A special experience.”
“It doesn’t look good”
Van Nistelrooij was pessimistic about the injuries. “It is of course a shame that Yorbe Vertessen and Ismael Saibari are injured. You will never see two players with a muscle injury again within a minute. It doesn’t look good.”
They join a full infirmary. Next Thursday against FC Zurich, Luuk de Jong, Noni Madueke and Mauro Júnior will not be in the selection yet.
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