Willem van Hanegem Defends Lutsharel Geertruida After Feyenoord Backlash

Feyenoord legend Willem van Hanegem has defended Lutsharel Geertruida amid growing anger among supporters following the defender’s move to PSV, insisting that players must prioritise the club they represent.

Geertruida faced hostility from sections of the Feyenoord support during and after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Philips Stadion. The defender was also involved in a confrontation with Jeremiah St. Juste after the match.

However, Van Hanegem has refused to join the criticism. Writing in Algemeen Dagblad, the former Feyenoord midfielder pointed out that the Rotterdam club did not have the financial means to bring Geertruida back.

“People need to realise that Geertruida is simply a Feyenoord fan who is now playing for PSV. Sometimes you can’t go to your favourite club; that’s how it works in football,” Van Hanegem wrote, as quoted by PSV Inside.

He also defended Geertruida’s celebration after scoring a goal that was subsequently ruled out, arguing that players naturally celebrate when they find the net for their team.

Van Hanegem did acknowledge the defender’s mistake in the sequence leading to Feyenoord’s equaliser, when Geertruida gave the ball away to Luciano Valente.

Despite that error, the Feyenoord icon maintained his respect for the defender, insisting that the incident did not change his view of Geertruida’s quality.