Netherlands star PUNCHES fan after embarrassing loss

Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

• Updated: 29 May 2023 08:45 BST
• 4 min read

Ajax have fined attacker Steven Berghuis after he punched a supporter following the club’s 3-1 loss against FC Twente.

The 31-year-old could not restrain himself just before boarding the team coach and lashed out hard.

It is not entirely clear why Berghuis gave punched the supporter. According to Tubantia , which relies on an anonymous source, Berghuis reacted furiously when a bystander aimed a racial slur at Ajax striker Brian Brobbey.

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“I regret my action, I should not have done this,” Berghuis, who has won 54 caps for the Netherlands, told De Telegraaf in a statement.

“After every away game, we get a lot of curses thrown at us when we get on the bus, while we make time to hand out autographs to fans who ask for them. I'm used to it by now, but people think they can shout anything. My reaction doesn't solve anything, I understand that too. It's not good.”

“Steven reacted in the wrong way. He quickly made this known to John Heitinga and immediately apologised,” Ajax responded. “On arrival at the Arena, he had a conversation with Heitinga, Edwin van der Sar and Sven Mislintat. They wanted to hear his side of the story. The conclusion is that his reaction was wrong and that Ajax disapproves. He has been fined.”

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Berghuis criticised over violent solution

Kenneth Perez believes that Berghuis should never have used violence.

“It's good that you stand up for your teammate, but violence is of course never the solution,” the analysist told ESPN. "Of course, we are in a society that is getting worse and worse, where everyone thinks they can say anything, where norms and values are really fading. We live in a country where politicians are more likely than not to be protected. If you are a public person, you are expected to assume that people will say nasty things about you.

“That is just today's society. If someone comes to you, you should actually already assume: this will be very annoying. You have to anticipate that. You must be ready: whatever happens, stay calm. Then you might be surprised that someone says something nice for once. You should never, ever let yourself go like Berghuis.

“Despite what happened, violence is never the solution. Never. It is very stupid what Berghuis has done. He saddles Ajax with a problem, or an issue. What do you do with such a person? Can you practise violence in an Ajax tracksuit? What are you going to do with that? The context is very important, but you should never use violence alone."

Whether Berghuis hit the fan in question cannot be seen on the video. It is also not clear whether there were actually racist insults that preceded it.

The blow from Berghuis, who started his career at FC Twente, is a new incident in a very disappointing Ajax season. The 36-time Eredivisie champions finished third in the Eredivisie and will therefore be missing from the Champions League next season. Ajax must secure participation in the Europa League through the play-offs.