Dutch
Dutch FA opens talks with Louis van Gaal over return to national team
Louis van Gaal has moved a step closer to returning as Netherlands coach for a third time after meeting with Dutch football association officials to discuss the job, local media reported on Friday. The reports said the 69-year-old held talks at his home in Portugal on Thursday with KNVB directors Nico-Jan Hoogma and Eric Gudde, who are responsible for the choice of a new coach after Frank de Boer’s resignation. De Boer resigned after their Euro 2020 last-16 defeat to Czech Republic on June 27 and the KNVB said it would move swiftly to find a replacement, with the team set to resume their World Cup qualification campaign in September. Van Gaal, who officially retired in 2019 but stepped away from the game two years earlier after leaving Manchester United, had two previous spells at the helm...
Euro 2020: Matthijs de Ligt takes blame for Netherlands elimination
Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt said he felt he was the player to blame for his team’s Euro 2020 last-16 exit after being sent off in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic. The Juventus centre-back was dismissed 10 minutes into the second half in Budapest for a deliberate handball after he was forced into an error by Czech striker Patrik Schick. As De Ligt fell to the ground he pushed the ball away from Schick to deny his opponent a goalscoring opportunity. He initially escaped with just a booking, but received a red card following a VAR review. “I had it under control. The ball came and I let it bounce. I fell to the ground and got pushed, which made me use my hands,” De Ligt told Dutch public broadcaster NOS. “The moment changed the game and I feel responsible. I saw how the guys...
Dick van Burik: Kevin-Prince Boateng could have reached Lionel Messi’s level
Retired former Dutch professional footballer Dick van Burik believes Kevin-Prince Boateng had the potential to reach Lionel Messi’s level. The former centre-back captained Hertha Berlin and played with the Ghanaian in the same team between 2005 and 2007. The West African, recently, made a return to the team where he started his career and signed a one-year contract. The now 47-year-old Dutch concedes the qualities of the attacker in the German team were world-class and much was expected from him. “Even when Kevin came from the youth to the first team, his potential was immediately world-class,” Van Burik said as quoted by Ghanaweb. “He can do things that you go to the stadium for. Even then he had the… attitude and simply showed what he can do. “He has become a great player but I actually ...
Georginio Wijnaldum joins PSG on three-year deal
Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool on a three-year contract. The Ligue 1 giants made the announcement in a statement released on their official website on Thursday. “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce the transfer of Georginio Wijnaldum. Arriving from Liverpool, the Netherlands international midfielder has signed with the club from the French capital until 30 June 2024. “Born in Rotterdam, and a product of the Sparta Rotterdam youth academy, he played for two of the biggest clubs in his homeland in Feyenoord (135 matches, 25 goals) and then PSV Eindhoven (154 matches, 56 goals) with whom he won the 2014-15 Eredivisie title. “After a season at Newcastle United, ‘Gini’ joined Liverpool FC in the summer of 2016. The ...
PSG steals Georginio Wijnaldum from Barca’s grips with better offer
Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder, Georginio Wijnaldum, who had been a long-time target to firm up the Catalan midfield for Barcelona, made a sudden volte face by deciding for former French Ligue champions Paris Saint-Germain instead. Just when the details of his move from former English Premier League champions Liverpool were almost fully sorted with arrangements on course for Wijnaldum’s medicals at Camp Nou, PSG jumped ahead to challenge for the midfielder’s interest with a juicier offer which appears to have worked in their favour. The Ligue 1 side has now won the race to sign 30-year-old central midfielder on a free transfer from Liverpool. PSG found their way around advanced talks between Wijnaldum and Barca by showing the defender their determination to attract him to Paris by improving ...
Liverpool boss refuses to confirm Gini Wijnaldum’s departure
Jurgen Klopp refused to confirm whether Gini Wijnaldum is set to play his final game for Liverpool this weekend, but insisted the midfielder’s commitment to the Reds cannot be questioned. Wijnaldum’s contract at Anfield expires next month, and there is no sign of the 30-year-old agreeing a renewal. Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been strongly linked with the Dutch international, who is likely to captain the Reds on Sunday in their crunch clash with Crystal Palace at home. Klopp refused to be drawn on Wijnaldum’s future at a press conference at Kirkby on Friday, telling reporters: “There’s nothing to say in this moment. We have a game to play. We will see after the final whistle on Sunday.” Later, though, he was asked whether the idea of such an influential player – Wijnaldum has made 50 ...
Suez Canal reopens after stranded ship is freed
Traffic has resumed in Egypt’s Suez Canal after a stranded container ship blocking it for nearly a week was finally freed by salvage crews. Tug boats honked their horns in celebration as the 400m-long (1,300ft) Ever Given was dislodged on Monday with the help of dredgers. Hundreds of ships are waiting to pass through the canal which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. It is one of the world’s busiest trade routes. Peter Berdowski, CEO of Dutch salvage company Boskalis, said the Ever Given had been refloated at 15:05 (13:05 GMT) on Monday, “thereby making free passage through the Suez Canal possible again”. Egyptian officials say the backlog of ships waiting to transit through should be cleared in around three days, but experts believe the knock-on effect on global shipping could take w...
Report: Everton close to sealing loan deal for Bayern Munich striker
Everton are close to sealing a loan deal for Bayern Munich striker Josh Zirkzee as manager Carlo Ancelotti looks to bolster his attacking options, according to talkSPORT. The teenager will be moving to Goodison Park temporarily till the end of the campaign with a view to sealing a permanent move afterwards. Everton could be without Cenk Tosun in the coming days, with the Turkey international keen to leave before the end of the transfer window if he isn’t guaranteed regular playing minutes in the top-flight. It appears that the Toffees are preparing for his potential departure, and a move for Bayern’s 19-year-old Dutch striker looks to be on the cards. Zirkzee has featured in five games for the Bundesliga giants across all competitions in 2020-21 after playing 10 times last season and scori...
European Union backs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for WTO role
The European Union has endorsed former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Bloomberg reported. The business news outlet cited anonymous officials familiar with the matter that all the 27 EU member countries agreed on Monday in Brussels to support Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. Bloomberg also reported that the United States has decided to back Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade minister, for the role. The position has been fiercely contested amongst candidates of different countries since Roberto Azevedo resigned in August. Last month, Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee were selected as the last two candidates in the contest. The EU’s endorsement is seen as a significant boost for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, with the final winner expected...
Ondo guber: Governor Akeredolu notorious for having loose tongue – deputy
Deputy Governor of Ondo State and governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has lambasted Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for describing him as a betrayal, neophyte and a nincompoop. Ajayi while responding to Akeredolua in a statement by his Media Adviser, Allen Sowore, in Akure said governor Akeredolu ”reckless gaffe is a continuation of his fruitless and sterile efforts to demean the constitutionally established office of the Deputy Governor and his person. “The Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, is not surprised at this latest castigation of his person by Mr Governor. “This has been the favourite tactics of Akeredolu and now that he’s frustrated by the people’s obvious rejection of his reelection bid, it’s expected that he would not desist on the road to infamy and pe...
Ronald Koeman informs KNVB he wants to join Barcelona
Barcelona chiefs are reportedly holding talks with the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) as they seek to appoint Ronald Koeman as their new head coach. Quique Setien was relieved of his duties on Monday evening after a meeting between Barcelona’s board of directors at the Camp Nou. Koeman is currently the coach of the Netherlands, but has previously revealed that there is a special clause in his contract that would allow him to take over at Barcelona. This clause was able to be activated after Euro 2020, but the postponement of that tournament and the uncertainty surrounding international football mean that he should be able to take over at the Camp Nou now. On Sunday, Koeman was spotted at Barcelona airport, where he was flying home to the Netherlands having already held talks with Barcelo...
Sunday Oliseh: I started funding Nigeria national team in 1996
Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh has opened up on his experience with the Super Eagles which spanned nine years. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder made 63 appearances for the West Africans before he was forced to retire from international duty in 2002. Oliseh was a key member of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia under Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof. He explained the tournament opened doors of opportunities for him as he secured a move to Italy to play for Reggiana, becoming the first Nigerian to feature in the Serie A. “The 1994 Afcon was very special for me. In fact, it was my first major tournament for Nigeria in Tunisia and we had some great talents in the squad at that time,” Oliseh told the Punch. “We were favourites heading into the tournam...
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