Hungary assistant coach Adam Szalai was taken to hospital after collapsing on the touchline during the Nations League clash against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
Former Manchester United and Burnley striker Wout Weghorst has come under fire for his goal celebration during a Nations League match in Amsterdam, just minutes after Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai was rushed to hospital.
Weghorst couldn’t contain his joy when he put the Netherlands ahead from the penalty spot 21 minutes into the game, contributing to Ronald Koeman’s side’s 4-0 victory at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
The game resumed with a penalty following a VAR check, after a more than 10-minute delay due to Szalai collapsing on the touchline.A medical tent was quickly set up around the former Real Madrid, Mainz, Schalke, Hoffenheim and Basel striker, who was then taken to the Amsterdam University Hospital after being stabilized by doctors.
Latest updates confirm that Szalai is now in intensive care. However, Weghorst’s goal celebration has drawn criticism in the Netherlands. The 32-year-old forward scored from the penalty spot after referee Jesus Gil Manzano was alerted by VAR to a potential handball.
He then celebrated with a knee slide and fist pumps.Former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart, who was at the game as a TV analyst, expressed his disgust, saying: “Watching Weghorst celebrate made me sick to the stomach.“He should have realised that Hungary’s players were actually entitled to abandon the match and go to the dressing room.
Instead they had a meeting on the pitch and decided to resume playing. That deserves massive respect because none of those players knew what the situation was at that moment.
Liverpool news “They decided to carry on, Netherlands got a penalty – and then Weghorst started celebrating as if he had scored the winner in the World Cup final. He should have cut that out.
Ex-Celtic forward Pierre van Hooijdonk, who was on co-commentary added: “It would have been so much more appropriate if Weghorst had not celebrated.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and others showed visible concern for their colleague who collapsed during the game. Van Dijk later recounted to the press that his teammate had witnessed Szalai’s previous collapses.
Van Dijk said: “I could see him lying there while his body was shaking. I was standing next to Szoboszlai and asked him if the coach had any history like this and Dominik said he did.
It was a shock for everyone. I found it scary to see him lying there. I really hope he is stable and will recover fully. His recovery is more important than anything.
When questioned about the difficulty of continuing the game, Van Dijk remarked: “It certainly was for the Hungary team. They had to decide if they wanted to carry on.
We were patiently waiting for the outcome. I think it says a lot about their strength that they wanted to carry on. I have the utmost respect for them.”
