“His book with the National Team is closed”: Ronald Koeman blasts Steven Bergwijn following Al-Ittihad move
Saudi Arabia has been successful in capturing another big name from European football. 26-year-old Steven Bergwijn has completed a summer move to Al Ittihad from Ajax for a reported fee of β¬25 million. The former Tottenham man will earn β¬9 million per year in the Middle-East which is a significant improvement over his β¬4.6 million annual contract at Ajax. Bergwijn was a part of the four-time European Champions from 2022-2024.
The winger’s international manager, Ronald Koeman, though, was not amused by his decision to join Saudi Arabia. “Steven Bergwijn goes to Saudi Arabia at age 26. It’s clear that this has nothing to do with sportive ambition. His book with the Dutch National Team is closed.” Koeman has made his thoughts on the matter clear and has made a big statement regarding Bergwijn’s future with the Dutch National Team.
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Since the onset of Saudi Arabian football, there has been always a debate about players moving to the Middle East on the grounds of financial luxury. The former Barcelona coach also stated that the player did not talk to him about the matter and would have preferred him to stay in the Eredivisie. Steven Bergwijn has appeared in 35 games for his country so far scoring eight goals. Currently, it is difficult to imagine him and Ronald Koeman patching up regarding the player’s international career.
Plenty of major absentees in Ronald Koeman’s squad for Nations League fixtures
The Netherlands will be up against Bosnia and Herzegovina along with Germany in the upcoming UEFA Nations League Group 3 fixtures. Koeman has named his 23-man squad with several notable exclusions. The biggest worry for the coach is the continued delay of Frenkie de Jong. “This is worrying. It’s been a very long time”, were the words of the Dutch boss. The Barcelona midfielder has been on the sidelines since April with a return not probable in the near future.
Ronald Koeman has also made some big calls regarding other positions. Along with overlooking Steven Bergwijn, Koeman has also excluded Memphis Depay and Ian Maatsen. The former is just four goals away from becoming the nation’s all-time top goalscorer but has struggled with form in recent months. Maatsen, on the other hand, is a surprise omission considering his brilliant series of splendid performances lately.