Because club top scorer Ayase Ueda has remained behind in Rotterdam, Casper Tengstedt will be at the point of the Feyenoord attack against Real Betis on Thursday evening. Jan van Halst had made a different choice and – with a wink – puts himself in the shoes of Shaqueel van Persie.
If Ziggo Sports-presenter Hélène Hendriks states that she had expected Van Persie instead of Tengstedt in the last Europa League round of the competition phase, Youri Mulder answers: “Van Persie lets his son substitute. Maybe that is smarter.”
“Feyenoord and Van Persie signed Tengstedt in the summer (for six million euros, ed.). If there is an opportunity to play… Van Persie has always let his son substitute, with great success. So why would you change that?”
“I would draft Van Persie,” Van Halst chimes in, who then comes up with an idea. “Would son Van Persie knock on dad’s door and say: Why don’t I play?” On a more serious note: “You have to separate it. I want to play, coach. What are you doing to me now?“
Mulder laughs about it. “Yes, he has to make a very big argument, just like Van Persie used to do.”
