On 25 September at 02:45 (CEST), Beijing time, the Dutch national team will face Germany in the first round of UEFA Nations League A. Ahead of the match, Van Dijk attended a press conference. In the first part of the interview, he responded to criticism directed at him and expressed his hopes for a new era. Related link: [Van Dijk: It's an exaggeration to say Koeman and I have ruined Dutch football; looking forward to playing against Klopp]

I'd like to ask Van Dijk: How did you feel when you heard the sad news of Koeman's wife's passing?

The news was sent to the team chat, and I also received a personal notification. Of course, my heart was very sad. Everything happened so suddenly. It's extremely difficult for his family, but she was an extraordinary and very strong woman. I'm sure today's funeral will be a solemn and beautiful farewell.

Two months ago, how confident were you that you would still be selected for the national team?

That was largely my own thinking. I needed a well-deserved break to spend with my family. After that, I had an important conversation with Xavi, and within 10 seconds, I was convinced I would continue playing for the Netherlands.

What did he say or do in those 10 seconds?

He told me that I am Van Dijk.

You clearly know that yourself, so that was enough for you to decide to continue?

Yes, but there's much more behind that statement. The key is trust, recognition, and understanding your value to this team. There's no physical doubt. But you also want to enjoy football, to truly feel that recognition, and I felt it.

What changes have you noticed in recent days?

The coaching staff is the biggest change. We communicate and train in English, which is not a major obstacle for me. The meeting format and the entire action plan are completely new. So far, we've completed three training sessions, with one more coming up, and another tomorrow morning. Then we'll face a big match.

Good to see you again. During your summer break, you must have reviewed the past and looked back on the World Cup. Do you believe that as a group of players, you gave 100% and took full responsibility at that time?

To be honest, we didn't perform well enough; that's a clear fact. Now it's up to us to change the situation as quickly as possible.

From a player's perspective, what do you think was the root of the problem?

It's always easy to analyze afterward: "We should have played like this, we should have played like that." And some media members claim that I advocated for a five-man defense, which is complete nonsense. We simply failed at the World Cup—that's the bitter truth. It's being exaggerated, as if the five-man defense was the reason for our elimination, but that's not true.

Public opinion in this country is now very optimistic, saying that the Netherlands is returning to a 4-3-3 formation. But the reality is that successive coaches—Van Gaal, Koeman, de Boer—have always ended up reverting to a five-man defense because it can mask defensive weaknesses. Against opponents with numerous wing attacks, a four-man defense is always difficult. Why would this time be different?

I don't design tactical plans. I've been with the national team for years, but I've never been the one who designs tactics. From what I'm feeling right now, we won't play with a five-man defense. Spain won the World Cup with a four-man defense, and most top players are accustomed to the four-man system. We're all capable of playing in this system, although it's admittedly difficult to implement at this stage.

This international break marks your 100th cap for the national team. How much motivation does this milestone give you to continue playing for the Netherlands?

That's not my main motivation. I just wanted to rest, spend time with my family, talk to people around me, and then meet with the national team coach. Of course, reaching 100 appearances is something not many players achieve, and thinking about it makes me happy. I will be the 11th player in the team's history to reach 100 appearances, which is remarkable.

You mentioned trust and recognition. Has Xavi restored this to you, or have you personally felt a lack of recognition within the team?

I don't lack it within the team, but often I don't feel it from external public opinion.

What do you mean by "external"?

The public image created externally, where the media plays a major role. This external image doesn't match reality. I can feel the difference between how I'm evaluated at the national team level and how the international media assesses me—not just English media, but media worldwide.

Setting aside the World Cup elimination, how should the outside world objectively evaluate you? When you were on holiday reflecting on your national team career for the Netherlands and deciding whether to continue playing for your country, you were looking for trust and recognition from Dutch fans. But shouldn't players ultimately be judged based on their performances on the pitch, and shouldn't everyone be held to the same standard?

We should be judged equally, but in reality, that's not what happens.

After the match against Morocco, public opinion was incredibly harsh. At that time, did you feel the team was just unlucky, experiencing an unfortunate chain of events? After all this time, do you still see it that way?

I still believe that. Being equalized in the 89th minute, combined with a poor overall performance in that match, is a fact. If we'd had a few more minutes, the result might have been very different. But the match was played very poorly, went to a penalty shootout, and we were eliminated too early. That was followed by an incredible wave of criticism, much of which was justified. With the players we have in the Netherlands, we shouldn't have been eliminated at that stage.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com