Jens Toornstra is clear after the game between AZ and Feyenoord (2-1) on Sunday: the first penalty kick for the Alkmaarders should not have been given by referee Dennis Higler. Teammate Jorrit Hendrix lightly touched the breakthrough Dani de Wit in the penalty area and after a check at the VAR the ball hit the spot. Jesper Karlsson opened the score for AZ, which received another penalty from Higler ten minutes later.
Toornstra makes a clear judgment shortly after the final whistle in Alkmaar, after he saw the images of ESPN around the penalty kick from presenter Hélène Hendriks. “I don’t think it’s a penalty,” says the Feyenoord attacker before walking back to his own microphone along the field of the AFAS Stadium. “I’m not a referee, but fine.” Hendriks then asks Toornstra to repeat his answer, because she could not hear it in the noisy stadium. “You understood, but don’t you mean the people at home? I didn’t think it was a penalty, but what I said: I am not a referee and we also come into this situation. You have to prevent that,” Toornstra looks critically at his own team.
† @AZAlkmaar leads 2-0 at halftime thanks to two penalty kicks! †#AZFEY pic.twitter.com/mPYYm0SHHH
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) February 27, 2022
Hendriks then wants to know how Toornstra views the title chances that Feyenoord certainly seemed to have prior to the duel with AZ. “We talked beforehand that this was our last chance to compete for the championship. And we didn’t take it,” sighs the disappointed wing attacker, who returned to midfield in the final phase after the introduction of Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Toornstra also finds the second penalty from AZ, after a push from Tyrell Malacia towards Yukinari Sugawara, easily given by Higler.
Analyst Arnold Bruggink points out an important aspect to him from the interview with Toornstra. There has apparently been talk at Feyenoord about the possible title chances, as the gap with leader Ajax is only six points. “It is nice what he says at the end. He said: ‘This is the last chance for the championship’. It is nice that they are working on that internally. They are also thinking: In a few weeks we have to go to Ajax, win today and we can really stay close† We are talking about second place, but they are talking about the championship,” said Bruggink.