The Netherlands comes to the European Championship facing some important questions. The coach, Ronald Koeman, has to resolve three key uncertainties. They all have to do with injuries and affect Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow in goal; Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong in midfield; and Memphis Depay, from Atlético de Madrid, above.
Under normal circumstances, Koeman would not pick players with such little playing time during the season, but the current circumstances are not normal. Finally, De Jong will not be in the Eurocup as he has not recovered from his injury. Yes, he will have Virgil van Dijk and Depay. In goal, Koeman still has to decide who will be the starter. Biljow, as mentioned, has struggled with injuries, while alternatives Brentford’s Mark Flekken and Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen lack international experience.
The qualifying phase was not as smooth as expected and was plagued by incidents, especially before the first match against France. In what was later called currygate, several players at the national team’s training camp in Zeist fell ill on the eve of the match and were sent home in the middle of the night, because the staff feared it was a virus. A few days later it was found out that the problem had been the chicken curry they had had that night.
A depleted team quickly conceded two goals in the first 10 minutes at the Stade de France and ended up losing 4-0. From that moment on, they had to make up for lost ground and did not secure qualification until the penultimate match, against Ireland. The key victory was a tight 1-0 in Athens against Greece just in the previous match.
Koeman recognizes that his team needs to play better in Germany if they want to go far. “We know very well that we have to improve in several aspects to compete with the other leading countries,” he declared after securing qualification. “It is clear that our football can and must improve.”
The selector
Ronald Koeman is an experienced manager with an impressive track record as a club manager. The 61-year-old is in charge of the Netherlands for the second time, but it is his first appearance at a major tournament. During his first stage at the head of the Orange They qualified for Euro 2020, but Barcelona arrived, which compensated the Netherlands Football Federation with 4 million euros, and Koeman left without playing the final phase of that tournament. However, things did not go very well for him in Catalan lands and he returned as coach in January 2020, with the promise of implementing a new and different style of play.
The icon
The Netherlands team has always stood out for its attacking football. Their recognizable style dates back to 1974, when they amazed the world with a new concept of football. Nowadays, however, it is the defenders who excite fans the most. The captain of Liverpool and the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk, is the one who leads the team on and off the field. The 32-year-old player maintains the same excellent relationship with Koeman that he had with Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool. In fact, Koeman was the coach who brought Van Dijk to England when he was managing Southampton and told him that he could become one of the best in the world.
Player to follow
Ian Maatsen is the surprise choice for Netherlands left back, given that Danny Blind, who held that position at Manchester United (now playing for Girona), may have to retire from the national team. Everything will depend on whether Koeman opts for a left winger more focused on the attack or a more secure winger in defensive coverage. Maatsen belongs to Chelsea, but has had a magnificent season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, revealing himself as one of the most interesting left backs in Europe.
The nonconformist
Memphis Depay is the player Koeman should keep an eye on both on the field and off. On the field he is capable of inventing genius and is aiming to become the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer in this tournament. When he is not playing, Depay is very unpredictable and can surprise the coach and his teammates with videos on social networks or comments that cause embarrassment in others. He has been criticized a lot in his country for his support of his former international teammate Quincy Promes, convicted of drug trafficking and for stabbing his cousin in the knee with a knife. Depay defends himself: “he is my friend and I never give up on family or friends. I’m not saying I agree with certain things, but I will always support my friends. My brother also spent 10 years in prison…”.
The core
The ideal column for the Netherlands team would be Bijlow, Van Dijk, De Jong, Depay, but it is very unlikely that we will see all four on the field at the same time, at least in the group stage. The Netherlands have another creative midfielder in PSV’s Joey Veerman, who is expected to leave for the Premier League or Serie A in the summer. Brian Brobbey, Ajax’s young forward, could serve as a replacement for Depay.
Probable starting eleven
5-3-2: Mark Flekken – Denzel Dumfries, Lutsharel Geertruida, Virgil Van Dijk, Nathan Aké, Micky Van de Ven – Tijjani Reijnders, Veerman, Jerdy Schouten – Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo.
famous fan
Singer Jan Smit, who has released 24 studio albums, three live albums and 33 singles since 1997, is the team’s biggest celebrity fan. He has sold out stadiums as a singer, although he would prefer to pass for just another fan, as Rod Stewart does with Scotland. He will sing in the places designated for fans of the Orange in Germany. Smit, who hosted the Eurovision song contest held three years ago in the Netherlands, is heavily involved in football. He was president of FC Volendam until this year, and with him at the helm they achieved promotion to the Eredivisie.
Culinary delight
The Dutch eat their favorite snack, bitterballen, at home in front of the TV or at the stadium. Despite the name, they are not bitter at all. In reality, the bitterballen They are meatballs that are fried in oil and eaten with a beer. Tourists love them. Servings are usually five or six units.
This is an article in collaboration with The Guardian.Marcel van der Kraan He is a journalist at De Telegraaf.
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