Mexx Meerdink compliments two Feyenoord players: 'They were quite good today'

AZ suffered their first defeat of the season away at Feyenoord on Saturday evening, losing 2-0. Much of the post-match debate centred on a possible penalty for AZ involving Meerdink. The striker himself believes he should have had one, he told ESPN.

Shortly before half-time, AZ looked to have been awarded a penalty after Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst was judged to have brought Meerdink down. Referee Danny Makkelie was then called to the screen by the VAR and overturned his decision after reviewing the footage: no penalty.

Meerdink did not agree. "I feel contact. I don’t know what footage he (Danny Makkelie, ed.) saw, but I think this is simply a penalty. He just puts it on my foot. If you see the footage from behind, you can clearly see that he touches me."

"If this happens in midfield, for example, he does give it. And he gave it, went to the screen and stood there for quite a long time as well. But a shame…"

That call left Meerdink furious. Opponent Gjivai Zechiël even had to calm him down a little.

"He said: calm down, nothing is going on," Meerdink says. "I understand why he says that. But I think the goalkeeper was a bit startled as well."

On his own performance, the striker said: "Today I didn’t get that many balls and I wasn’t involved in the game that much." When reporter Wouter Bouwman pointed out that he was up against imposing opponents in Jerry St. Juste and Mika Mármol, Meerdink replied with a laugh: "Yes, they were good today. But it is up to me to learn to reach that level in every match."