The Netherlands lost to Morocco in a penalty shootout in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Coach Koeman was interviewed by Dutch media outlet NOS after the match.

We just listened to van Hecke's interview, and his disappointment was clear even through the TV. What was the mood like in the locker room just now?

It was terrible. We gave everything. The penalty shootout started well for us, but their second penalty was psychologically crucial—it went against us. That moment was bizarre, truly bizarre. Verbruggen had already touched the ball, it was behind him, and then he knocked it into the net with his heel. When things go against you like that, there is nothing you can do.

They missed their first penalty, and at that moment you might have thought we were finally going to break free from the penalty curse. But we didn’t, because there were five penalties to take in total. We all know how difficult penalties are in these moments. We missed three out of five, which is too many.

A lot happened in this match, and there is plenty to discuss. I want to ask about your game plan, which you explained with great conviction before the match. Looking back now, what do you think of it?

I'm still positive about it. That's all I want to say. I don't think we have anything to blame ourselves for, and you can see from the players' current state that they are completely devastated. They had dreams too. Of course, a penalty shootout affects the players psychologically.

There were moments in the match when we could have done better. At times, we dropped too deep and were unable to continue pressing the opponent. But we also defended very well in many moments. Against such a strong team with excellent players, you cannot completely prevent them from creating chances. But these are discussions for after the match, and after the match, everyone thinks they are right.

Such a plan has two sides. On the one hand, you wanted to limit Morocco's threat. But don't you think the Netherlands committed too little to the attack?

In the first half, we could have posed more of a threat down the left wing. Diaz is not particularly strong defensively, but we did not exploit that enough. We played this way because, in the first three matches, we gave the opposition too much space. You could ignore that and continue as before, but in my opinion, as a coach, adjustments had to be made.

As for whether we could have played better or handled certain moments differently, of course that’s possible. But some people understood this adjustment before the match, and after the match...

But some people will also say you should have played more to your strengths.

If you approve the plan before the match, you can’t say it failed after the match. Some people said before the match that we should play more to our strengths. The whole of the Netherlands was calling for the team to play with five defenders. Now we have played with five defenders, and we are being criticized for it. But I’ll say it again: I don’t care at all.

But you also know that doing so places you in the spotlight.

No risk? There is a risk. Being in the spotlight? I don't care. Am I supposed to avoid making the adjustments I believe are necessary because I'm worried about poor results or the team being knocked out? That's not what a coach does, and it is certainly not what I do. I won't deliberately choose the hardest path.

This decision was made after discussions with the players, and ultimately, I made the final call. As for occasionally dropping deeper, that happens in many games. At times, we could have pressed more, but they had four players forward, and one of their two defensive midfielders also joined the attack. That made it difficult for us to press with three players. However, we had a numerical advantage at the back. Apart from a few moments, we defended well, and those moments reflected the opponent’s quality more than our mistakes. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, which is fine and as it should be. But if I had to do it again, I would make the same choice.

How does this usually work? Is this your plan? Do you discuss it with the coaching staff first and then communicate it to the players?

After the first match, and especially after the second and third matches, we discussed this with the players. This included individual conversations, position-group discussions, and meetings with the entire team. I felt we were giving the opponent too much space. Against a team of this level, if you continue to allow that much space, you create problems for yourself. Even the goal we conceded came when we had five defenders in position. If we had only had four defenders at that moment, such situations would have occurred even more often.

As for not being able to press consistently at certain stages, or not making the most of counter-attacks and transitions, that’s football. Of course, it’s easy to say all this after the match. But I still say it, and anyone can say that.

In principle, don’t you prefer this system? Was it more of an emergency plan this time?

No, it is not an emergency. I like this system. Look at how many teams are using it now—there are really many. And this system is difficult to defend against. We chose to play this way for those reasons. I repeat: I have no regrets.

Was there a moment in the game when you felt the team could hold on for the victory? After all, you were still leading 1-0 after 90 minutes.

Yes. But a game isn't just 90 minutes; it's 95 minutes. That was proven again tonight. There was that one moment when the ball landed in the middle, I think between Van Dijk and Koopmeiners, and it became 1-1. You need a bit of luck too, and today Morocco had more of it than we did.

But didn't Morocco ultimately deserve to win? After all, they created more chances, and there was Verbruggen's incredible save.

Yes, they did create more threats. That’s correct. That’s the truth.

Is it difficult to motivate the team again?

That is not difficult. At some point, you have to make substitutions. Some players were already exhausted—De Jong and Gakpo included—and Van Dijk had some calf problems. So you try to make the most reasonable adjustments, including bringing on Justin Kluivert, who is usually a good penalty taker. But it did not work out as we had hoped. This is clearly a dark moment for Dutch football.

This is not a strong point of Dutch football. Tonight in Monterrey was a very emotional evening, and I imagine it was the same in the Netherlands, with many people watching on TV. Is it too early to ask what comes next for you? You previously said the goal was to reach the semi-finals. Is now the time for you to consider these questions?

No, no. That's something to start thinking about tomorrow.

Are you already thinking about it now? Or not at all?

Of course, I have my own thoughts, but I don't think this is the right time to express them.

Can’t you reveal a little bit?

Of course not.

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