Euro 2020: Frank de Boer announces final 26-man Netherlands squad
Netherlands manager Frank de Boer has announced his 26-man squad for Euro 2020. The biggest surprise is the omission of Tottenham Hotspur star Steven Bergwijn from the team.
The Dutchman has perhaps paid the price for his lack of game time at Spurs in the last few months, with de Boer opting for uncapped PSV Eindhoven rookie Cody Gakpo ahead of Euro 2020. The Netherlands boss axed eight players from the preliminary squad that was announced earlier this month.
38-year-old Maarten Stekelenburg was choosen ahead of AZ Alkmaar’s Marco Bizot as one of the three goalkeepers. The veteran spent years as a reserve goalkeeper at Everton before recently finding game time with Ajax. He will be one of the oldest players at the tournament.
Anwar El Ghazi, Rick Karsdorp, Hans Hateboer, Kenny Tete, Jeremiah St Juste and Tonny Vilhena are the other players who will play no part for the Netherlands team in Euro 2020. De Boer conducted a small camp on Wednesday as the Dutch team began their preparations for the tournament.
The Netherlands boss has kept Daley Blind in the squad as the Ajax defender attempts to recover from a serious ankle injury in time for the tournament. De Boer also included teenage Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, following his stellar performances in the second half of the 2020-21 season.
The Dutch manager has also included Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek despite the player enduring a dismal first season at Old Trafford.
The Netherlands squad is scheduled to reassemble on Friday in Portugal to start a week-long training camp. They will play a friendly against Scotland on June 2 as they begin their preparations for Euro 2020. The team will also play a warm-up game against Georgia in Enschede on June 6.
The Oranje will be without Virgil van Dijk at Euro 2020
Netherlands will be without their skipper Virgil van Dijk for Euro 2020. The Liverpool man has recently ruled himself out of the tournament to try to return from injury in time for the new Premier League season with the Reds.
Liverpool missed their defensive stalwart the recently-concluded Premier League season as they failed to defend their title and only scrambled to a top-four finish on the final day of the campaign.
Netherlands will kickstart their Euro 2020 campaign on June 13, with a Group C game against Ukraine in Amsterdam. They will then face Austria on June 18, before the final group game against North Macedonia three days later. De Boer’s wards are expected to qualify for the knockout stage without too much trouble.