Robin van Persie has remained defiant after his Heerenveen side suffered a historic 9-1 thrashing at the hands of AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, Soccernet.football reports.
Despite the heavy defeat, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker, now in his first season as a top-flight manager, assured fans that neither he nor his players were “traumatised” by the loss.
“This is part of football. I have not been traumatised by this, and neither have my players,” Van Persie said, as per DailyMail.
“Even when things aren’t going your way, with three goals in quick succession in the second half, it’s important to keep doing the things you agreed on. We’ll keep playing our own game. That’s what I believe in, and that’s what we believe in.”
The match marked the worst defeat in Heerenveen’s history, with AZ Alkmaar capitalising on a tough second half for Van Persie’s side.
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AZ opened the scoring in just four minutes through Sven Mijnans, and while Heerenveen managed to equalise through Luuk Brouwers, the match soon unravelled. Former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott netted his first goal for AZ and added three more in quick succession in the second half, sealing a painful defeat for the visitors.
Van Persie, who endured a similarly humbling experience during his playing days, referenced Arsenal’s infamous 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.
“I also lost 8-2 to Manchester United once,” he recalled. “That wasn’t fun either, but it’s part of being a footballer. It’s part of everyone’s journey to become the best version of themselves.”
The defeat leaves Heerenveen 12th in the table, with four points from their opening four matches under Van Persie.
Despite the setback, the Dutchman remains focused on long-term improvement.
“It’s about standing with your chest out in these situations and being proud of yourself and each other,” he said. “We remain ourselves, even when things get tough.”
Heerenveen will look to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures, but Van Persie is confident that his team will grow from the experience.
“You’ll encounter a number of bumps in your career,” he said. “This was a very big bump, but we learned a few more lessons from this match than we normally would.”
