Steven Bergwijn Hits Back At Koeman Over Netherlands Snub

Steven Bergwijn has hit out at the Netherlands coach, Ronald Koeman, for shutting the door on his international career because of a move to Saudi Arabia.

Bergwijn was accused by Koeman of lacking “sporting ambition” after leaving Ajax for Al-Ittihad on Monday, and will not be considered for selection.

Bergwijn, who has been a member of the national team since 2018 and participated in the squad that reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals, saw Koeman’s critical comments made in a news conference on Tuesday on television and was hurt by them.

“You don’t treat players like that,” he told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “This is not how you treat your players. If he continues like this, he will lose his credibility.

“If he had been a committed national coach, he would have called me first, This is too easy and it disappoints me from him,” Bergwijn revealed

“I have always considered it an honor to play for the Dutch team, but under this coach, I no longer want that. I am done with someone who deliberately portrays me like this in the media.”

Bergwijn expressed disappointment with the coach for not communicating with him beforehand. Koeman chose Bergwijn to start in the last 16 and quarter-finals at Euro 2024, and the former Tottenham player also started against Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals in 2022, when the Netherlands was led by Louis van Gaal.

Steven Bergwijn, why did he move to Saudi

Steven Bergwijn: “Of course, I’ll improve gigantic financially wise, I won’t lie. But sportive-wise, it’s also interesting”.

“I will play with Benzema, Kanté, Fabinho, Diaby, Pereira… I am excited to become their teammate!”, told Telegraaf.

The Netherlands have Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday and Germany on Tuesday.