Jizz Hornkamp was the big man on the Heracles Almelo side on Saturday evening. The striker scored twice in the relegation match with Vitesse (3-2) and thus played an important role in the victory. Hornkamp was surprised several times by referee Bas Nijhuis.

Hornkamp scored 2-2 and 3-2 against Vitesse. The second goal led to quite a controversy, as it was not immediately clear who was credited with the goal. Justin Hoogma and Dominik Oroz seemed to affect Hornkamp's commitment to the line, but that turned out not to be the case.

“It was just my goal, so I thought this was justified,” he quotes Football International from Hornkamp's mouth. “I didn't mean to head the ball in like that, but whatever. If I hadn't gotten it in my name, I would have made a problem of it.”

“When that goal was scored, I immediately walked to Bas. 'This is my goal, isn't it,' I said. Then Bas said that Makkelie had scored Oroz's own goal. 'I'll give you his address, you can drop by.' I thought he was joking. But he was serious, about that own goal.”

Hornkamp was further bothered by Nijhuis' way of whistling. “You just don't know what Bas is for you,” said the striker. “Emil (Hansson, ed.) was taken down around sixteen, but Bas did not whistle. At the same moment for Vitesse he did whistle. I don't understand that.”

In addition to his goals, Hornkamp played a leading role in Nicolas Isimat-Mirin's red card. The Vitesse captain received two yellow cards in the space of five minutes. With the second yellow card he pulled Hornkamp to the ground.

“I thought so: if he pulls me, I will fall. And he did. I didn't see it again, but I heard that if I hadn't been pulled over, I would have had a free passage.”

“Luckily for us, he got his second yellow card. I think that moment made the difference. I always pay attention to it. If my opponent already has a yellow card, you just have to be smart.”

More sports news