Koeman on Dutch disappointment after England snatch 2-1 semi final win
Koeman on Dutch disappointment after England snatch 2-1 semi final win
10/07/2024
BVB Stadion Dortmund, Germany
10/07/2024
BVB Stadion Dortmund, Germany
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SportTranscript
00:00Good evening. Welcome to the press conference with Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman. If you
00:11could raise your hand when you'd like to ask a question, please, and wait for the microphone
00:14to arrive. So go ahead. First question, please.
00:19What is your immediate feeling right now after losing the semi-final?
00:34Disappointed about the final result in a match that started really good for us. After that,
00:46we had some difficulties in the midfield to stop the good players like Bellingham, Foden.
00:55Between the lines, we didn't control the game. We made some changes to control back in the
01:03game and the feeling was in the last 20 minutes that we were the better team, attacking more.
01:12But then there was the knockout in, I think it was 19 minutes. A great goal, but then it's
01:22over and that's difficult to accept.
01:27Lady in the third row.
01:29Hi Ronald, here. How did you look at the penalty moment with Dumfries? And also the question,
01:36how do you feel about this European Championship in the semi-final with a draw?
01:41This is just a type of decision by a FAR. And what should you do as a defender? I think
01:51this is not a penalty, because he wants to block the ball and he shoots the ball. And the
01:59shoe touches each other. I think football breaks because of these kinds of decisions, because
02:07of the FAR. And for the rest, I think, and that is my feeling, that we can be proud of
02:18each other and what we have done during this long period. And so no criticism to the group.
02:27We fought like lions, every game. Once better than the other time. But also tonight it was
02:35very close together to be on the right side of the medal. But unfortunately it is not allowed
02:42to be like that. And it turns out that if you get such support from so many people, that is a
02:51big compliment to them. But it is also a big compliment to the players, because they have
02:57believed in something. And that is nice to see, but we have nothing to do with that now.
03:04But that will come again.
03:09In the fourth row, yes.
03:10Ronald. Yes, here. In the back. Yes, here.
03:16It is of course shortly after the elimination, but can you say, because you have trained
03:22with this group of players for five weeks and also a number of young boys, if this can
03:28provide something for the future of Dutch football? You are on the map with the semifinals,
03:34but there is something behind it. Do you have confidence in that?
03:37Yes, definitely. If I see how the squad is now, what could not be added by fitness,
03:48I think there is certainly a future for the Netherlands with the national team. That is one.
03:55And I think that the way in which we have worked together and that we also realize
04:03that there are fewer moments in a game that we have to improve. But I think this was
04:09close to the final, but perhaps also the maximum that we have achieved from the group
04:17based on a great attitude. So as far as that is concerned, I am proud of this group,
04:25how we have been together since May 27, how they worked, what they did, how they lived
04:37every time after the next game. I would have liked to do that again, but unfortunately.
04:47Michael Boikoff for 90plusGermanmedia. A question about Xavi Simons.
04:57After his very early dream goal, he moved well between the lines, but he did not have
05:04that many offensive actions. How would you rate his performance apart from the goal today?
05:12He played well. He was dangerous. He scored a great goal. He had the offensive movements.
05:22He is always working hard. Sometimes we expect too much from a young player.
05:30I am really happy to have him for our national team because he will have a great future
05:39with a big club in the future and also for the national team.
05:49Ronald, if you look at the offensive side, the outside category may not be there with us.
05:58Is the category just below that, or is that also difficult?
06:03You have also experienced Ciri Xenu. Where is he?
06:09He has a lot of potential. He showed that at his club this season.
06:16There are also several attacking players, but that is still not a lot.
06:24We will have to hope that young players like Brobby and Joshua will develop further.
06:37They are young, but they can be even better attackers.
06:55Do you have any suggestion to the coach to save a football to face England?
07:13I think England showed great football in the first half after 1-0 down.
07:20It is football. If you watch all the matches of them, maybe the Spanish national team
07:28is still playing more offensive with really wingers and great football from the back.
07:37Great ball position. You need to stop that.
07:42But England is in the final and they have possibilities to win it.
07:49Maybe from outside, maybe because Spain are playing on a high level.
07:56But England can stop them. Why not?
08:01We will take the last two questions now in the second row and then in the green in the centre.
08:06Ronald, in the first half England bluffed you. How is it possible that the Dutch team
08:12let themselves be played away like that?
08:15Maybe it was a feeling of completeness with a semi-final?
08:22No, not at all. I don't understand that question.
08:28If you play a semi-final, you do everything to reach the final.
08:39We had a lot of problems with four players from England on the midfield.
08:46We couldn't get a grip on it. But that is also the quality of an opponent.
08:52It's not always our fault. We also had the possession that England had to go far back.
09:00That happened to us in the first half.
09:04It's not always, if you are less, that it's your fault.
09:09That can also be due to the quality of an opponent.
09:14If you talk about Foden and Bellingham, they are world-class players.
09:21Then you can get into trouble.
09:29Ronald, you were quite clear about the penalty moment.
09:33What did you think of the referee? I had the feeling that you were playing.
09:36In the second half you didn't understand what was happening on the pitch.
09:40Yes, I had that feeling. I thought he was playing for silly things.
09:48I think if the England players had let themselves fall so much,
09:56England wouldn't have had a penalty.
09:59But tonight we did get a penalty.
10:01There were a lot of moments when nothing was going on.
10:05But that's not why you lose. You lose because they score a great second goal.
10:12But at times I thought the game flowed too easily for fouls that weren't fouls.