Sem Steijn, Feyenoord's white elephant

Steijn has played just 189 minutes this season after Feyenoord paid €10m for him last year; Van Bronckhorst benched him again, citing emotional state and tactical concerns.

Sem Steijn remains on the periphery at Feyenoord despite the club's significant investment. The Dutch winger, signed for €10m as Eredivisie's top scorer and best player, has managed only 189 minutes of action this season.

In Feyenoord's recent match against Fortuna Sittard, manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst opted not to bring Steijn on despite having the opportunity. Van Bronckhorst explained his reasoning: after Feyenoord took the lead, he saw no tactical reason to remove Oussama Targhalline, the team's defensive midfielder. Later, when Fortuna Sittard equalized and a substitution seemed warranted, Van Bronckhorst observed that Steijn was "still too much in his emotions" and not in the right mental state to enter the match.

"I saw he wasn't feeling good because he had to sit down again at the moment he would have come on," Van Bronckhorst said. "That's why I made the call not to do it. Sometimes as a coach you have to let the moment weigh in and not make the situation bigger than it is." The comments raise questions about Steijn's future at the club.