Sem Steijn has a firm message for critics after celebrating at Camp Nou: ‘Those people must…’

Sem Steijn has absolutely no regrets about his exuberant celebration after his goal in FC Barcelona v Feyenoord (5-1). The midfielder made that clear to the cameras of ESPN. Steijn came in for plenty of criticism over the way he celebrated, but he is paying little attention to it.

On Wednesday evening at Camp Nou, Steijn scored Feyenoord's 4-1. His goal did little to change the outcome, but the midfielder celebrated it wildly. Not everyone appreciated that, yet Steijn himself cannot understand the criticism.

"As a young boy, I always used to secretly watch along to follow the Champions League before I had to go to bed," Steijn begins. "To then be on that stage myself and score, at Camp Nou, that is a fantastic debut."

So he has a clear message for those who disagreed with the way he celebrated. "I think those people should score at Camp Nou themselves one day. Then they can feel what that does to you. Maybe then they can have an opinion."

Negative reactions are not knocking him off course either. "I've mainly had nice reactions, you know. People who really enjoyed it. If a bit of negativity comes with that, it matters very little to me. Because I also saw a whole away end celebrating, so for Feyenoord too it was a lovely goal."

"It was great as it was. Unfortunately, though, with a poorer result. Of course you would rather have had a good result and that I had not scored, but now that I did score, I'm allowed to celebrate as well, I think."

There is not much time for Steijn to dwell on his Champions League debut. Feyenoord are back in action on Sunday against PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie. Steijn will be hoping for a starting place, which he has not yet been given this season.