Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman and defender Denzel Dumfries preview their UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-final with Turkiye
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
UEFA
05/07/2024
Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
UEFA
05/07/2024
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hi everyone, welcome to the press conference with Netherlands Co-Chair Arnold Kuhlman and
00:20Denzel Dumfries.
00:21I wonder if we have the first question, please raise your hand and wait for the microphone.
01:28It is clear that it is a different opponent, who plays differently, who also has different qualities.
01:36A team that played with four in the back, that played with five defenders, which I think,
01:47just like Romania, has a big heart, how they go into games and how they play games.
01:54But we always look at ourselves and what we are good at, we have shown against Romania.
02:03You also try to find that space again against another type of opponent.
02:10That can be within our team, that can be with changes, so we have also trained that.
02:20I think the most important thing is that we are ourselves, that we do not need a defeat
02:30to show how good we can be.
02:33We have been busy with that and we have confidence in that, but it is just a very difficult game.
02:43Good evening, I have heard that it is self-evident to wear earplugs,
02:49sometimes the sound of the Turkish fans can be so loud.
02:52Ronald, how do you plan to reach your players in such an atmosphere?
02:55And Denzel, how do you plan to stay very calm in such a situation?
02:59Well, I think that many of our players and I also have experiences with playing against
03:09more Turkish clubs, also in Turkey, with games, that it was always great in terms of atmosphere.
03:19Then we always said, you have to make sure you keep the ball.
03:23Then they go on their own and become quiet, but that will happen again tomorrow.
03:29I think it is very important that we play a game together, that we are very well-concentrated
03:43and that we make agreements.
03:46But there are of course, because it is such a type of opponent, they are very enthusiastic,
03:51they are good at the ball.
03:54But we also know that at times we also get spaces, and you have to be able to play that well,
04:01you have to make the right choices.
04:03So we are asked again to be very good.
04:09How do you stay calm?
04:11Everyone knows the importance of the game, we are super focused, we know what we can expect
04:17from an atmosphere in a stadium.
04:20Personally, it always gives me a boost.
04:22I think it's nice to play under good conditions, that will be no different tomorrow.
04:29You can hear each other a little less well, but as the Dutch coach just said,
04:34make good agreements, take responsibility.
04:38That is something I also trust.
04:41Do you still pay extra attention to Kornersveen in the last few days?
04:51Because?
04:53Because you got a lot against Romania, 10 assists, 3 or 4 penalties.
04:57I thought 13 in total, yes.
04:59That he didn't put too much risk on a header from De Vrij in the Sena.
05:04I think there was still a few moments of Van Dijk, I thought.
05:08No, that's right.
05:10If you get 13, you should actually score one out of it.
05:15So we talked about that.
05:17We try to do that differently at times to surprise opponents.
05:24Because in itself we have enough good headers.
05:28Only in a number of moments we can take the corners better, that's clear.
05:38Gentleman in the middle there.
06:08And so you will see that tomorrow.
06:22So the lineup will be different tomorrow?
06:26Sorry?
06:26The lineup will be different tomorrow?
06:28I'm not saying that.
06:30I thought I was listening a little between the lines.
06:35No, you misheard that.
06:41Okay, we'll see.
06:47Ronald, I just saw your colleague from Spain.
06:51He's just picking out his best attackers.
06:53And he scores a 1-1.
06:55Can you promise that you won't do that?
06:58And besides that, you just said you don't have a defeat.
07:04How good can we be?
07:06What?
07:08That's what I thought.
07:10What does he mean now?
07:12We shouldn't give up against a defeat.
07:14No, what I said.
07:16To get to a good match, it shouldn't be the case that you need a defeat first.
07:24So no Austria 2?
07:27No, that's what I meant.
07:29You have to get even more out of yourself.
07:33Of course you want to use something that lives around it.
07:37But it's just the fact that we're playing for a semi-final.
07:43And I don't think that happens often.
07:45So that's a great chance to get even further in the tournament.
07:52And to realise that we're not just going to win.
08:00Because that's not how it works.
08:06I don't know who the great Spanish attacker is.
08:10I haven't seen the match 2-1.
08:12Lamin Jamal, he's a good footballer.
08:14Yes, he's a good footballer.
08:16Nico Williams, he's not bad either.
08:18No, he's just picking out both of them.
08:21Yes, okay.
08:23So you don't understand that one either?
08:25No, I don't understand that one either.
08:29I don't understand a lot of bondscoaches.
08:33Denzel, you're playing with that yellow card in your back of your head.
08:37And we see you acting very well on a regular basis.
08:41How far can you go with that?
08:43No, when the whistle goes, I'm not busy anymore.
08:50The important thing is that we reach the semi-finals.
08:54And I'm not busy with my own yellow card anymore.
09:00Do you think I'm a good actor?
09:02No, not always.
09:06That's even worse.
09:08I've seen it.
09:10No, it was also a moment of shock for me.
09:14At that moment, it was a bit of an automatic reaction.
09:19He didn't hit me.
09:21But that happened.
09:25I can't say more about it.
09:31Good evening, question for Denzel.
09:33Everyone is talking about a fight match that's coming up.
09:39At a previous press conference, I think Mr. Schouten mentioned that everyone would like to have all the energy you have.
09:48But for a match like this, you can put a lot of fighting and passion into it.
09:52Is that extra motivation for you?
09:54And are you also giving the rest of the team that extra motivation?
10:00For this match, I don't need any extra motivation.
10:04It's the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
10:08It's fantastic to be here.
10:10So I don't need any extra motivation.
10:12And the rest of the guys don't either.
10:15We know it's going to be a tough match tomorrow.
10:17We have to be focused.
10:19We have to be in the ball well.
10:23And we have to give the match a lot of energy.
10:25Because we expect them to do that as well.
10:27Everyone knows what's waiting for them.
10:35Ronald, you probably watched the match against Romania.
10:39What's your conclusion?
10:41You were very good.
10:44Was it because of the match?
10:46Or was it because of the match against Romania?
10:48Can you explain what a victory like that solves in such a group?
10:52Such a performance?
10:56I think we played well from our possession of the ball.
11:00Of course, it also has to do with an opponent that gives away space.
11:07I think I already said something about that.
11:11Romania had a lot of problems against Belgium.
11:15They did the same on the right.
11:17We created a lot of chances.
11:21That was a point of criticism.
11:23Because such a match has to be decided much earlier.
11:27What do you take away from that?
11:29That's one of our qualities.
11:33But also that you have patience.
11:36They will have seen the match.
11:38And they will take their measures accordingly.
11:42Then it may be that those spaces are somewhere else.
11:48That's why I say you have to see that.
11:52You have to be patient for that.
11:54We also know that when they lose the ball.
11:58Because they are also enthusiastic.
12:00Then you also get spaces in your transition.
12:02We have a lot of speed ahead.
12:05That is also a weapon of ours.
12:07You also saw that later in the match.
12:09That we came out very well a few times.
12:11It was a great match.
12:13But our strength was also there.
12:17Because they couldn't play that well.
12:35The tournament in 1988 started quite slowly.
12:39Losing the first game.
12:41And we were the best team in the tournament.
12:43By the end of it.
12:45You saw it with Italy in 2006 as well.
12:49Teams can build.
12:51And in the knockout stage we see the real quality.
12:55Do you believe your team is building to the point
12:59where they can, if they continue to improve,
13:03win this tournament?
13:05We started the tournament really good.
13:07We had a win against Poland.
13:09We had a draw against France.
13:11We had a bad day against Austria.
13:15In the last one it was a really good level.
13:19Football wise.
13:21If we keep that level,
13:23then it can be a really good tournament for us.
13:27But every match is difficult.
13:31All the big teams struggled a little bit
13:35in different matches to win it.
13:37Even England scored in the last second.
13:43Portugal won by penalties.
13:47You have to fight for it.
13:49But the last one gave us a lot of confidence.
13:55We understand that we need to keep that level.
13:59If we go down,
14:01then we don't reach what we would like to win.
14:05Can I also check if there are any Turkish media
14:09that want to present questions?
14:11None?
14:13Ronald, you took Schouten,
14:15Ake and Bergwijn to the side
14:17because of light complaints.
14:19We heard from Schouten yesterday
14:21that he is fit again.
14:23How is that for Ake?
14:25Nathan is also fit.
14:27Bergwijn still has a bruise on his arm.
14:31We will decide that tomorrow morning.
14:35He trained today.
14:37We are waiting for his reaction
14:39to see if he can start tomorrow.
14:41Where does he have a problem?
14:43I don't think he is fit.
14:45If I may say so.
15:02The gentleman in the back.
15:08Ronald, I just heard you say
15:10something about coolness and businessmanship.
15:13It is always about the passion and enthusiasm of the fans.
15:17Is it logical for you
15:19to put a cool and businesslike Oranje against that?
15:24Or do you want to choose
15:26to beat them with their own game?
15:29The enthusiasm with Oranje.
15:32Of course.
15:34We want to bring enthusiasm.
15:37But I assume
15:39that there are moments in a game
15:42when you have to be cool and businesslike.
15:47There are moments
15:49when they have the upper hand.
15:52It is important
15:54to stay in possession of the ball
15:57and to take it away.
15:59That's what I mean.
16:01But it is clear that we have a plan
16:04in which we always want to dominate.
16:07We always want the ball.
16:09We look for spaces
16:11where we can be dangerous and creative
16:14to create opportunities.
16:16We have had that in every game.
16:19It is reassuring
16:21that we have a team
16:23that always creates opportunities.
16:26Denzel,
16:27are you someone
16:29who gets dragged along
16:31by what the opponent does
16:33in terms of enthusiasm and possession?
16:36Or do you always believe in your own game?
16:39No, I always play my own game.
16:42Of course, you can also
16:44overdo it with enthusiasm.
16:46But it is always a skill
16:48to play from control
16:50and know what to do.
16:52I am always focused on
16:54not to overdo it with enthusiasm
16:57and to get dragged along.
16:59Is that difficult?
17:01Yes, it is not easy.
17:04Sometimes I let myself go.
17:07You learn from that.
17:09But as you get older,
17:11you learn to recognize situations better
17:14and you know how to react to them.
17:18Thank you.
17:20Denzel,
17:21a question about the fans.
17:23It will be a home game in Turkey.
17:26There is a call in the stadium
17:28for the Dutch fans
17:30to produce as much noise as possible.
17:33You have to do it.
17:35The fans do not win the game,
17:37but do you have a say in that?
17:39Yes, of course.
17:41We have seen how fantastic our fans are.
17:44Outside the stadium,
17:46you get images of it.
17:48It gives us a huge push in the back.
17:52I expect them to support us tomorrow.
17:57We have to do it on the pitch,
17:59but it gives us a good push in the back.
18:04Thank you very much.