Netherlands wing-back Denzel Dumfries interrupted a post-match television interview to confront noisy people in the press room following a 2-2 draw against Greece in the UEFA Nations League, Soccernews.nl reported.
The Press Room Clash in Thessaloniki
The incident occurred as Dumfries stood in the mixed zone to speak with SBS reporter Noa Vahle after the final whistle. Persistent background noise from a nearby group of Greek journalists made it difficult for the Inter Milan defender to hear the questions, prompting him to halt the conversation.
What did you say? The player then turned his attention directly toward the disturbance:
Dumfries said, “Pardon. My friend, show a little respect! We’re in an interview.”
According to Voetbalzone, the tense exchange followed a frustrating evening on the pitch where Oranje dropped points away from home.
Disputed Goals and Referee Frustrations
Once the audio interference subsided, the interview shifted to Dumfries’s performance and two disallowed goals during the match. The defender maintained that his first-half effort should have stood, expressing clear exasperation with the officiating crew and the video assistant referee.
Then a goal is taken away from us. I also said that to the referee.”
Dumfries detailed the sequence leading up to the controversial moment, pointing out that Greek defender Panagiotis Retsos was in full possession before he managed to intercept and finish. Despite his protests on the field, the VAR intervened to rule out the score, leaving the Dutch squad with a single point from the fixture.
Reflecting on Oranje’s Slow Start
The wing-back also addressed the tactical shortcomings that forced the visitors into a difficult recovery after a sluggish opening forty-five minutes. noted that Dumfries acknowledged the sluggish start that put the Dutch team on the back foot in Greece.
Dumfries said, “We had to forget the first half and go full throttle in the second half. You see what it yields,” regarding the team’s tactical response after the break. Although the adjustment salvaged a draw, the defender emphasized that the result fell short of what Oranje required from the outing before looking ahead to their upcoming fixtures.
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