Van Hanegem Criticises Simons' Celebration Drama as Tottenham Struggles Continue

Xavi Simons has found himself on the receiving end of a withering critique from Dutch football royalty following his display in Tottenham's goalless stalemate with Brighton last weekend—well, not goalless exactly, but the point proved as useful as a chocolate teapot in the Lilywhites' quest for a first league win in 2026.

The summer recruit from RB Leipzig certainly delivered the goods on the pitch, setting up Pedro Porro for the opener before curling home a beauty of his own in the second half. Yet it's what happened after that strike that has drawn the ire of Willem van Hanegem, the Feyenoord legend who reckons the 22-year-old's wild celebrations were entirely out of order.

Les Ferdinand had already weighed in earlier in the week, expressing his displeasure at how Simons marked his goal given there were still more than 10 minutes on the clock and Spurs needed to keep their heads in the game. Now Van Hanegem has gone further, suggesting that in his day, either the manager would have hauled the lad off or the players themselves would have taken matters into their own hands.

"If a player like that had played in our era, and the manager didn't want to take him off, then the players certainly would have taken him off themselves," Van Hanegem told PSV Inside. "If Koeman sees this now, wouldn't he have something to say about it? Xavi Simons always plays his own game. It is truly terrible to watch."

The Feyenoord icon's accusation cuts deeper than mere celebration etiquette—he's suggesting Simons prioritises his own glory over collective endeavour, a charge that would hardly endear him to his international boss Koeman.

For context, Simons' debut campaign at Spurs has been anything but a triumph. The £51 million signing has managed just six goals and seven assists across 42 appearances in all competitions, hardly the return expected of someone with his pedigree. The adjustment to English football's demands has clearly proved tougher than anticipated.

Speaking after the Brighton stalemate, Simons acknowledged the rocky road he's travelled this season. "Yeah, I've been through a difficult journey, I would say, this season," he admitted to Tottenham's official channels. "It's life. I have to take it. I'm still young, I have to learn things. I'm really happy that the coach is here, for me especially."

He continued: "I want to play football, I want to help the team to score and assist. I want to help the team to go through this situation, together as a team is the most important thing, but yeah, these are the kind of games that I want to be on the pitch, and I want to show everyone that I can help the team."

Tottenham's search for that elusive first league win of the year continues this Saturday when they travel to already-relegated Wolves—a fixture that should theoretically offer more encouragement than recent outings.