Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman asserted his reasoning within his recent Oranje selection through meetings with the players that didn’t make the most recent cut. As per De Telegraaf, the national coach was clear about why Marten de Roon, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daley Blind were not called up. He was also extremely critical of Steven Bergwijn’s transfer to the Saudi Pro League.
“I thought we should go for others. Never say never, but it would have to be very strange if De Roon and Wijnaldum were called up again.”
Koeman visited Blind, now of Girona, in Spain to talk to him. The footballer then announced that his international career has come to aclose. “I spoke to Marten and Georginio via FaceTime,” the 63-year-old national coach explained. “They understood it, saw it coming and thanked me.”
On Bergwijn, Koeman didn’t mince his words following the 26-year-old winger’s move from Ajax to Al-Ittihad. “I think that when you are 26 the main ambition should be ambitious and not financial.”He continued, “Wijnaldum once went that way because he had a problem at Paris Saint-Germain. He could only go to that country to play football until January. In Bergwijn’s case, sporting ambition does not come first. In principle, the book is closed for him.”
The Netherlands will play their first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Eindhoven on Saturday. Three days later, the Dutch team will meet Germany in Amsterdam.
