“We are qualified. We shouldn’t take things so lightly,” was captain Virgil van Dijk’s first reaction after the Netherlands national team beat Ireland 1-0 at home, which secured their qualification for next year’s European Championship in Germany. “I saw other countries cheering more enthusiastically. We can be proud of ourselves. “It’s great that we are going to the European Championship.”
Van Dijk wants to say once again that the Netherlands has a duty to be there in Germany, but it is not that obvious. “I was with the Dutch team in the first leg and we missed two tournaments. It was a scary time to be honest. You don’t want to experience this. We were there again in the last three tournaments. This is a great thing and we will enjoy it. And then hopefully we’ll get ready for something good.”
Looking at the qualifying series, Van Dijk particularly praises the fighting spirit within the team. “I think we fought very well as a team. Especially when you look at the away games against Ireland and Greece. We fought there as a team. We showed great determination. “I think that’s a good sign.”
De Vrij: “A positive evening”
It has been about a year and a half since Stefan de Vrij started for the Dutch team. Competition for his position in central defense is fierce. So patience was a virtue. “I always come to Zeist with a big smile and always do my best. I had to wait for my chance. It would come sooner or later. “Then I had to be prepared for it.”
And after tonight, he became a national player for the 61st time. Not only did he play an excellent game, but he also made the only assist: “I was really looking forward to this. It’s nice to then play a good game and show the national coach that he can trust you and that I’m there when needed. Overall a positive evening.”
Weghorst got angry
Wout Weghorst, who scored the only goal of the match, thought that the victory was well deserved. He didn’t want to hear about the fact that this might be a tough match. “Haha, I was waiting for this. Games like this are never easy. But we created too many positions. Then of course you need to distance yourself more quickly.”
“I don’t really understand why it has to be about this now. I think it’s a shame that a journalist’s second question is about this. In any case, I’m so glad we did this. And this one won.” “I don’t change because of questions like these.”
“Of course, in terms of the European Championship, we need to improve our style of play and our pressure. But now please let’s all of us, I mean everyone in the Netherlands, be positive for once and make sure we play a great European Cup match full of enthusiasm and positivity.”
Check out Weghorst, Schouten, and Simons’ answers below:
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
