Former FC Groningen chairman Hans Nijland has told Ajax captain Dusan Tadic to stop ‘whining’ and ‘go play football’ following Ajax’s KNVB Cup final defeat to PSV.
Tadic joined FC Groningen from Serbian side FK Vojvodina in 2010. Hans Nijland was Groningen’s chairman at the time and oversaw the move. He made 76 appearances for the club before moving to FC Twente in 2012 and Southampton in 2014. After four successful seasons playing in the Premier League with Southampton, Tadic joined Ajax in 2018 for a fee reported to be worth €13.7m. Over the last five seasons, the skillful Serb has guided Ajax to three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch cups. At 34 years old he currently captains the club.
On Sunday, Tadic and his teammates had the opportunity to add another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet. Ajax took on PSV in the KNVB Cup final at De Kuip. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, sending it to extra time, and with nothing to split the two sides, it came down to a penalty shootout to decide who would lift the trophy. Unbelievably, five spot-kicks were missed between the two sides, but it was Ajax who struggled most under the pressure of the penalties. Edson Alvarez had Ajax’s fifth penalty saved before PSV’s Fabio Silva kept his cool to score the winning penalty.
Overall, the match was a scrappy one. Referee Dennis Higler dished out eleven yellow cards between the two sides, breaking the record for the most cards handed out in any KNVB Cup final. A total of 32 offences were committed in the match as players dug deep into challenges, fought fiercely for aerial duels and constantly complained when decisions didn’t go their way.
Dusan Tadic was one of the many players that regularly stopped to complain to the referee during Sunday’s cup final. His decisions prompted Hans Nijland to Tweet, ‘Tadic was a great professional in his FC Groningen era, a jewel within our club. But now it’s whining, whining, whining. Go play football, you’re still a great player.’ Ajax have four league games remaining before the end of the season and have missed out on every opportunity at winning silverware. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Amsterdam giants who sit 3rd in the league, on course for their worst Eredivisie finish since the 2008/09 season.
