Gjivai Zechiël brutally honest after NEC - Feyenoord: ‘Bizarre! This just can’t happen, can it? I don’t think this is acceptable’

Gjivai Zechiël again proved his value to Feyenoord on Saturday. Away at NEC, he scored once and set up two more, though he still wasn't fully satisfied with his own display, as he made clear to ESPN.

"I am grateful to God that I have been given the chance again to show myself on this stage," Zechiël begins. "It worked out, especially as a team. In the final phase it does become more difficult for us again, but that is the next step. That we just keep controlling the match."

In the 52nd minute, Zechiël opened the scoring for Feyenoord, but he had already passed up a huge chance a few minutes earlier. The midfielder somehow knocked the ball too far in front of himself, giving Gonzalo Crettaz the chance to step in.

"What a strange moment," sighs Zechiël as he watches those images back. "That I hit this one too hard, that is really bizarre. That is simply not quality from me at that moment. I really do not understand how I do this so badly. Surely I cannot play this ball too far ahead of me? I do not think this is acceptable."

Then came another decisive moment. Soon after scoring, Zechiël turned provider with an assist for Luciano Valente. "Whether we are a royal duo? No, not a royal duo, because in the end the whole team do it. But we do have a good connection. I am happy that I play with him. He is an important lad for the team, works hard. Yes, it is nice to play alongside him," said Zechiël.

Later, the playmaker was asked about the complicated situation involving Anis Hadj Moussa at Feyenoord. The winger was twice late for team moments on Saturday and wants to leave for Ittihad Club, where he can earn 50 million euros over five years. Did it affect Feyenoord's preparations at all?

"No, the manager mainly tried to keep the focus on the match, so fortunately we were able to let it go quite quickly," Zechiël says. "A lot is happening around Anis at the moment, but as a group we should not be looking at that now. In the end, no one is above the team. It is unusual, but we are not focusing on it."