The scorer of the goal which denied Ajax the Eredivisie title said he received threats over the weekend from disappointed fans.

Bryan Smeets cancelled a scheduled interview with L1 Limburg after threatening messages were sent to his mobile phone and posted on social media. He said he was concerned for the safety of his friends and family. ‘It’s very upsetting, but I was just doing my job,’ he said.

Smeets’s second half equaliser for De Graafschap Doetinchem meant that PSV won the title for a second successive year, while Ajax end the season without a trophy.

Smeets admitted after the game that he was a lifelong Ajax fan, adding: ‘I hope they don’t hate me now.’

The midfielder from Maastricht said he had not reported the threats to police and hoped they would stop in their own time.

Ajax’s 1-1 draw allowed PSV to snatch the title with a 3-1 win at PEC Zwolle. Both teams had started the last day of the season on 81 points, but Ajax’s superior goal difference and their opponents’ league form – De Graafschap finished 17th out of 18 teams – made the Amsterdam club favourites for the championship.