Dutch footballer’s young daughter consoles him after relegation
By Brooks Peck | Dirty Tackle – Mon, May 14, 2012 4:04 PM EDT
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1Ki6lEJHnk0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
The most prominent images this time of year are often of the unbridled joy on display during title celebrations, but the despair of players on the opposite end of the table is often just as intense.
On Sunday, De Graafschap were relegated from the Dutch Eredivisie after only managing a 1-1 draw at home in the second leg of its promotion/relegation playoff against FC Den Bosch. The first leg ended 0-0, so De Graafschap fell because of a single away goal, which had to be an especially painful way to go down.
After the match, De Graafschap midfielder Rogier Meijer sat on the pitch, depressed and in disbelief over what just happened, when his young daughter, Saar, marched over to him. Wearing a De Graafschap shirt with her dad's number and her own name on the back, Saar put a hand on his shoulder and checked to see if he was OK. He shook his head and laid back while she stood over him.
When a scene that adorable can't cheer someone up, it shows just how devastating relegation is for a footballer.