FEYENOORD BOSS VAN PERSIE FUMING CALLING CELTIC “SHAMELESS CLUB” AND EXPLAINING WHY HE GHOSTED O’NEILL’S HANDSHAKE AFTER THE 3 1 EUROPA DEFEAT AT STADION FEIJENOORD
Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie delivered one of the most explosive post match reactions of the Europa League season after his side suffered a frustrating 3 1 defeat to Celtic at Stadion Feijenoord.
The Dutchman, visibly furious from the moment the final whistle blew, slammed the Scottish club as a shameless club for what he described as an overall lack of respect on the pitch. His anger did not stop there as Van Persie openly acknowledged that he intentionally walked past Celtic interim manager Martin O Neill without shaking his hand, a moment already going viral across social media.
The match had started brightly for Feyenoord when Ayase Ueda silenced the visiting supporters with a tidy finish in the 11th minute. A quick counterattack sliced Celtic’s defence open and Ueda calmly slotted the ball beyond the keeper to give the Rotterdammers a deserved 1 0 lead. Stadion Feijenoord roared, expecting the home side to push forward and take control of the group.
But Celtic responded with spirit and precision. Hyeon Gyu Yang struck in the 31st minute with a curling effort that left the goalkeeper rooted. Just before halftime, Reo Hatate delivered a stunning long range strike to turn the game completely around in the 43rd minute. Despite Feyenoord dominating possession and creating multiple opportunities, they entered the break trailing 2 1 and visibly frustrated.
The second half brought more chaos than control. Feyenoord pressed aggressively while Celtic sat back, absorbing pressure and looking to counter. Late in the match, with Feyenoord pushing numbers forward, Celtic struck again. Substitute Berg Nygren sealed the victory with an 82nd minute finish after a defensive lapse, sending the travelling supporters into a frenzy and leaving Feyenoord stunned.
However, the football itself was not the biggest talking point of the night.
Van Persie’s post match interview will be replayed for weeks. The former striker did not hold back as he criticised everything from Celtic’s behaviour to the quality of officiating.
“They were a shameless club” Van Persie snapped. “Rolling on the floor, wasting time, shouting for every decision. This is not football. It is embarrassing. I have played in intense stadiums, big derbies, major finals, but what I saw today was something else. We came here to play football. They came here to manipulate the rhythm and rely on the referee to save them.”
The handshake snub quickly became another headline of the night. When questioned, Van Persie confirmed the moment was intentional.
“I am not going to pretend” he said. “I walked straight past Martin O Neill. I have huge respect for him as a manager and as a person, but after everything that happened, after the behaviour from their bench, the pushing, the shouting, the way they influenced every decision, I was not in the mood for a handshake. I believe in respect, but respect has to be mutual.”
The Feyenoord boss then blasted the officiating, claiming his team was treated unfairly throughout the match.
“It was bias officiating, absolutely” Van Persie insisted. “Every fifty fifty went their way. Every challenge we made was a foul, but when we were fouled, play continued. Look at the stats, look at the fouls given, look at the yellow cards. It tells the whole story. You cannot compete in Europe if the referee is more interested in Celtic’s appeals than the actual game.”
Fans inside the stadium were equally frustrated, loudly booing the officials as they headed down the tunnel. Several Feyenoord players confronted the referee at full time, though staff quickly guided them away before the situation escalated further.
Despite the heated response, Van Persie did admit that his own side must still reflect on their shortcomings.
“We scored early, we controlled large parts of the match, but we did not stay sharp” he said. “We must finish chances, defend with discipline, and show more composure in key moments. Celtic punished our lapses. That is football. But what is not football is the circus we experienced tonight.”
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The defeat leaves Feyenoord in a difficult position in their Europa League group, facing pressure to secure crucial points in upcoming matches. Van Persie insisted his team will respond with determination.
“We will bounce back” he said firmly. “This club has too much fight and too much character to let one night define us.”
As emotions continue to simmer, one thing is certain. Robin van Persie has ignited what could become one of the fieriest managerial rivalries of the season.
