Jurrien Timber, the Arsenal defender’s harsh tackle on Wout Weghorst left the striker on the ground. Weghorst and Timber exchanged words before Koeman stepped in to play peacemaker. The ex-Manchester United striker looked unhappy after the tackle, but he came back and joined the session. This happened before Netherlands drew 2-2 against Germany in the Nations League. The manager said that this is absolutely normal, and it happens everywhere. The striker kept complaining about the challenge by Timber and was eventually shouted at by the coach. He also answered questions about Memphis Depay and Steven Bergwijn’s future in the Dutch national squad.
Jurrien Timber and Wout Weghorst clash before match against Germany.
Timber and Weghorst have had a very different last 12 months for the national team. Weghorst has scored important goals in the last couple of tournaments. Whereas Jurrien Timber, the Arsenal defender was out for an year, recovering from an ACL injury. Afterwards, it seemed like Weghorst tried to bring up the same issue again but was calmed down by Brighton’s Van Hecke. He was the first one to leave training, he was off as soon as the session ended. He cycled away, while using his mobile phone. Later Koeman said that it’s good that he did not leave before the session ended. Koeman also said that the incident was absolutely normal and things like this happen everywhere. He’s right, it’s very normal for players to have clashes and then get over it. there’s nothing wrong in being competitive in practice but sometimes people get a little carried away. Koeman also told the press that Weghorst hasn’t suffered any injury and is absolutely fine. Both Jurrien Timber and Wout Weghorst came on in the second half as substitutes in the 2-2 draw against Germany. Koeman also asked the media to not make it bigger than it actually is. He also answered questions related to Depay and Bergwijn’s future in the national squad
Depay and Bergwijn’s national team future under Koeman
The boss made it clear that he would no longer consider Steven Bergwijn for the national team after his move to the Saudi Arabian league. He said that at the age of 26, Bergwijn’s move to Al-Ittihad shows that he values money over Football. About Wijnaldum’s selection in the 2024 Euros, the manager said that he had problems at PSG and moving to Saudi was the only option for him, he also said that the Wijnaldum is 33 and Bergwijn is just 26.
In the case of Memphis Depay though, Koeman sees it differently. Depay’s inability to find a club was the reason why he wasn’t in the squad against Bosnia and Germany. After his move to Corinthians, Koeman said that the Brazilian league is competitive enough, higher than that of Saudi’s. The manager wants Memphis to improve on his fitness if he wants to get back in the squad.
The Dutch team reached the semifinals in the Euros, they also reached the quarterfinals in the World Cup and are the 7th best team in the word. They have a squad of young as well experienced players and could emerge as a be a strong contender for the world cup in 2026. That will only be possible if the team stays away from controversies. With everything happening around Bergwijn being overlooked, Jurrien Timber and Wout Weghorst clashing, Depay looking like an afterthought and Koeman also talking to Van Dijk about his future for the national team, it looks like the Dutch have a lots of ‘Off the pitch’ issues that they need to find solutions to.
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