Wim Kieft gives referee Bas Nijhuis a big compliment for his performance in the match between NEC and PSV last Friday. The often criticized referee ‘really whistled great’, the former striker said on Monday evening Veronica Offside.
Nijhuis often attracts criticism with his sometimes unorthodox way of whistling. For example, in December last year in the match between RKC Waalwijk and Excelsior (2-2), he only reached for his whistle for the first time after 48 minutes of play to stop the game. The fact that the flutist from Enschede, in addition to his refereeing career, regularly appears as a singer or participant in non-football-related entertainment programs (for example, he was still in I love Holland), he is also not appreciated by everyone in and around the football world.
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His performance in De Goffert also did not go undiscussed. For example, Nijhuis caused confusion among many viewers by initially awarding an advantage after a foul by Joey Veerman, and then – after Mees Hoedemakers had shot wide – awarding a penalty on the advice of the VAR.
Kieft, however, saw the 47-year-old leader achieve a ‘great’ performance in Nijmegen. “I am often critical, but I thought Nijhuis was really good. Also calm and quiet in communication with the players,” it sounds positive. “He missed a penalty twice, but then he was saved by the VAR in the end,” Kieft has to admit afterwards. Presenter Wilfred Genee points out a moment when Nijhuis was ‘talking about with Peter Bosz at one point’, to which Dick Advocaat immediately joins in: “That’s the way it is, he talks to everyone in the field.” However, Kieft sees great quality in this. “That works, if you just stay calm. And: he whistled regularly!”
Watch the entire segment below Veronica Offsidein which Jan Boskamp and linesman Franca Overtoom also give their views on the Nijhuis phenomenon.
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