Italian press criticises Feyenoord and Zechiël after heavy Inter defeat

Feyenoord’s 3-0 Champions League defeat by Internazionale prompted a largely negative response from the Italian press, with midfielder Gjivai Zechiël receiving some of the sharpest criticism. Inter won through goals from Yann Bisseck, Pio Esposito and Piotr Zieliński.

La Gazzetta dello Sport considered Zieliński the dominant figure in midfield and argued that Zechiël remains some distance from the Polish international’s level. As relayed by Voetbalzone, the newspaper said the Feyenoord player still had plenty of “stamppot to eat” before becoming a top player. La Repubblica likewise felt Zechiël never found his rhythm, although Corriere della Sera offered a contrasting assessment by describing him as a “gem”.

The criticism extended to Feyenoord’s collective display. La Gazzetta characterised Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as timid and inexperienced, saying they were never properly in the contest. It believed Anis Hadj Moussa briefly posed a threat from the right before fading, while Feyenoord failed to create danger through the centre. The paper did, however, praise Thijs Kraaijeveld’s defending.

Corriere dello Sport reported that Feyenoord began positively with support from the De Kuip crowd, but struggled to locate space between Inter’s lines once the visitors increased the pressure. Tuttomercatoweb awarded 5.5 ratings to Luciano Valente, Hadj Moussa and Kraaijeveld, criticising Valente’s loss of possession before the opening goal while acknowledging Kraaijeveld’s personality and commitment.