Virgil van Dijkcaptain of the national team Netherlandsthis Friday recognized his team, which he coaches Ronald Koemanmust make a significant improvement in the round of 16 or face his bye to German Euro 2024because, according to the captain of Liverpool, perhaps they overrated their own qualities. The ‘oranje’ were declared European champions on just one occasion, at Euro 1988, with Ronald Koeman as one of its pillars.
The Dutch were heavily criticized after losing 2-3 to Austria in Berlin on Tuesday, in group D, finishing third in their group. Despite everything, they qualified for the round of 16, where they will face each other Romania on Tuesday. This defeat is a heavy blow, which according to Van Dijk It was reviewed in the locker room though “with harsh words” to the players, who took Thursday off and returned to work on Friday.
Van Dijk He missed the previous Euro Cup, 2020, played in 2021 due to the pandemic, as he was not at his best after a serious injury he sustained playing with Liverpool in October 20020. In this European Championship, the Netherlands fell in the round of 16 against the Czech Republic (0-2).
The current captain of ‘Oranje’ and the ‘Reds’ said this Friday in a press conference after the retreat against the Austria: “I can completely understand the criticism. I’m not stupid, I also know that I can do better and that I should be better, and that’s what I’m working on. I didn’t play my best game against Austria“.
Van Dijk He added in this matter: “It affects me, I also believe that things in general can and should be better. The team, as a whole, did not work, but I looked at myself first. A lot I wish I had contributed.”
Van Dijk He was candid about his choice. He did not put hot topics before the media: “Maybe we value ourselves too much. Much has been said and studied. Against Austria things went completely wrong. It was a very bad meeting. “We talked about many aspects and now we have to prove it.”
He continued to examine Van Dijk what happened to the defeat against the Austria: “It’s not the tactics that make things wrong. It is above all the will to win, to win the second ball. You don’t have to talk about it with the coaches, the players have to do it themselves. So, we have discussed that… and with harsh words.” But the ‘Oranje’ defender believes they don’t need to panic after a bad performance.
Van Dijk He continued: “It’s a bit of an eye-opener, but if we keep going the same way, there’s nothing we can do about it. It has to change quickly, otherwise we’ll be sitting at home wondering what could have happened. I don’t want that.”
Netherlands can be measured in England rather than Romania. Van Dijk He said they should not underestimate their next opponent. “We are humble and not looking at the next game. “We’re not going to underestimate anyone, on Tuesday we have to be fully focused on the job at hand.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
