“With Koeman I feel better than with Van Gaal”

The Netherlands team begins a new phase in the controls again of Ronald Koemann. The premiere is on Friday in Saint-Denis against France at the start of the qualifying phase for Euro 2026. One of the players most pleased with the change on the bench is Georginio Wijnaldum.

“With coeman I feel better than Van Gaal”, assured the now 32-year-old Roma midfielder after Ronald returned to the ‘oranje’, after passing through the Barça bench, replaced Louis, who stepped down after losing to Argentina in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar.

Koeman summoned Wijnaldum again for the Dutch team once he has recovered from the serious injury (fractured tibia) he suffered in August during a training session for Roma that kept him out of the World Cup in Qatar. However, he is no longer with Van Gaal as he was replaced by PSG. The last of his 86 international matches was from March 2022 against Germany.

Wijnaldum said that I secretly hoped for Koemanwho turns 60 today, returns to take the reins of the Dutch team after leaving in August 2020 to lead Barça.

Koeman wants Wijnaldum for Barça

coeman tried to sign Wijnaldum for Barça in 2021 after Liverpool contract expired and, although he eventually ended up at PSG, he admits he never forgot Ronald’s interest in signing him up. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out. Our bond goes back in time to Feyenoord,” recalled the midfielder.

Wijnaldum admits that his relationship with Van Gaal, 71, is more complicated because with him he had a leading role in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but in 2022 it stopped entering his plans. However, the player makes sure that he does not harbor a grudge against him.

Thanks to Van Gaal despite everything

“I accepted it then and we had a conversation about it. I also thank Van Gaal for what he meant to my career. It’s not that I don’t like him now or that I don’t qualify him as a good coach , but with Koeman I feel better than with Van Gaal”.

happy in rome

With Koeman’s return, Wijnaldum hopes to regain an important role in the Dutch national teamespecially after recovering from his injury and starting to play regularly for Roma with Jose Mourinho after his disappointing spell at PSG.

“I felt that Roma really loved me and that Mourinho wanted me to play a lot. And also the team was happy with me. I also felt it when I came back from my injury”, highlights a happy Wijnaldum in ‘calcio ‘.

Without Frenkie, with more options

In the absence of Catalan Frenkie de Jong due to injury in the matches against France and Gibraltar, Wijnaldum may have more influence in the ‘oranje’ game. “I’m still hungry for success. Of course we can move forward with this team. There’s a lot of potential,” he says.