Weghorst Slams ‘Not Good Enough’ FC Twente After Europa League Exit to Ferencváros

FC Twente’s European journey took a disappointing turn on Thursday evening as they were knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers by Ferencváros, losing 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw in Budapest. The result means the Tukkers drop into the third qualifying round of the Conference League, a steep fall from the group-stage ambitions they had set. Striker Wout Weghorst, who scored his first goal for the club, did not hide his frustration, calling the performance “dramatic” and “not good enough.”

A slow start and a missed opportunity

After losing the first leg 2-1 at home, Twente needed a strong performance in Hungary to turn the tie around. Instead, they produced a lackluster display for most of the match. The task became even harder when Philippe Rommens, a former Go Ahead Eagles midfielder, was sent off early in the second half, leaving the visitors with a one-man advantage for the final 45 minutes. Despite the numerical superiority, Twente struggled to create clear chances and fell behind 2-0 before mounting a late rally.

Weghorst’s first goal and honest assessment

The 33-year-old striker, who joined Twente in the summer, scored his first goal for the club in the 85th minute to make it 2-1. Substitute Younes Taha then equalized in stoppage time, but the damage was already done. Twente needed to win by two goals to force extra time, and the 2-2 draw meant they were eliminated on aggregate.

“This is really a missed opportunity,” Weghorst told ESPN after the match. “We didn’t start well, and after the red card, the game changed. We had more control, but we came out of the dressing room dramatically in the second half. That simply cannot happen. We only got into the game after they made it 2-0, but that was far too late. When Younes and Lucas came on, the crosses improved and we scored twice. But it came too late.”

Weghorst expressed his personal disappointment despite the goal. “I’m happy to score my first, that feels good, but it means nothing now. We wanted to reach the Europa League. The club worked hard for that. In matches like this, you have to be professional and mature, but we were not. We still have a lot of steps to take.”

Captain blunt: ‘Not direct enough’

Captain Bart van Rooij echoed Weghorst’s frustration. “We were too busy knitting passes, not direct enough. They kept it tight at the back, but we have to do better. That’s the painful conclusion of today. It just didn’t come out.”

What comes next for Twente

The European season is not over for John van den Brom’s side. They will now enter the third qualifying round of the Conference League, where they face Slovakian side DAC 1904. The first leg will be played in Enschede on August 6, with the return match in Slovakia a week later. Twente will need to regroup quickly and address the issues highlighted by their senior players if they are to keep their European campaign alive.

For the fans, the disappointment is sharp. Twente had targeted a return to the Europa League group stage after a strong domestic campaign last season. Instead, they face a less glamorous path, and the candid criticism from Weghorst and Van Rooij suggests that significant improvements are needed in both mentality and execution.

Source: Voetbal International, https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/scorende-weghorst-legt-vinger-op-de-zere-plek-bij-teleurstellend-fc-twente