Viewers angry over ‘scandal’ during Greece v the Netherlands
Even before Greece and the Netherlands had properly got under way in their Nations League clash, the crowd in Thessaloniki had already got under the skin of Dutch viewers. The Wilhelmus at Toumba Stadium was drowned out by mass whistling from the Greek stands.
Outrage followed straight away on social media over the reception given to the Netherlands team. "No more Greek yoghurt for me. That childish whistling during our national anthem," Helen writes on X.
Kim also had little understanding for the actions of the Greek supporters. "Whistling during a national anthem is disrespectful. No tzatziki here for the time being," it reads. Another viewer asked in astonishment: "Why are those Greeks whistling during the Wilhelmus?"
The criticism did not stop there. One viewer called the whistling during the Dutch national anthem "disgraceful". Another viewer was also clearly annoyed by the behaviour in the stands: "The Greeks are whistling our beautiful national anthem down."
A heated atmosphere in Thessaloniki had not come completely out of the blue, either. More than 100,000 Greeks tried to get hold of a ticket this week for the meeting with the Netherlands, while around 29,000 passionate home supporters were ultimately able to attend.
There was plenty at stake for the Netherlands on the pitch too. The Dutch began the new era under head coach Xavi with a draw against Germany and a win over Serbia, and before the third round of fixtures they were second in the group with four points.
Greece had made a flawless start too, collecting six points from their first two matches. In Thessaloniki, Xavi opted for Guus Til in midfield among others, while Jurriën and Quinten Timber appeared together in the Netherlands starting XI for the first time.
Virgil van Dijk was also enjoying a special evening in Greece, with the captain making his 99th international appearance. The match brought an early scare for the visitors: after just 35 seconds, Vangelis Pavlidis slipped free before Jurriën Timber made his cross harmless.
