Van Dijk: We spoke “violent words”

Berlin (dpa)

The Dutch national football team is trying to regain its balance, before facing the Romanian national team next Tuesday in the round of 16 of the European Nations Championship “Euro 2024”, after qualifying for this round as one of the best four teams that finished third, following a 2-3 loss to the Austrian national team in the last round of Group Four.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman strongly criticized his team, which has not been far from internal conflicts over the years in major tournaments.
Thanks to the system in place in the tournament, which includes 24 teams, the four best fourth-placed teams qualify.
The Romanian team blew a big surprise by occupying the top spot in its group, but the Dutch team is considered the most prominent candidate to win the match being held in Munich.
But Virgil van Dijk, captain of the Dutch national team, does not take the Dutch team’s victory for granted.
“Our focus is only on Romania, the way we played in the last game, we cannot underestimate any opponent,” Van Dijk told reporters at the team’s training base in Wolfsburg. “But the fact that the Dutch, who won the title in 1988, are in the easier half of the draw should not play any role in the players’ thinking.”
“After our last game, we shouldn’t talk about being in a supposedly easy draw, we should focus fully on Romania,” said Van Dijk, 32. “We talked a lot, there were some tough words that were necessary as well, and now we have to show that on the pitch. We still have the feeling that we can make this a very special tournament.”