Frenkie de Jong left an excellent impression on Rafael van der Vaart on Thursday evening in the 2-0 European Championship match of the the Dutch against Austria. The former international and analyst of the NOS calls the 24-year-old Barcelona midfielder ‘perhaps the best player the Netherlands has ever had in his position’. De Jong shows himself in conversation with the NOS satisfied with the duel with Austria.
“The man… It’s unbelievable what he’s showing. On his position, in front of the defense. Perhaps in that position he is the best player the Netherlands has ever had. I’m not talking about scoring or giving assists, but turning away and knowing what’s going on around you. I can’t remember seeing that in that position,” says Van der Vaart in the studio of the NOS. “Well, you’re right about that”, responds Pierre van Hooijdonk. “The fact is that in recent years there has always been a real controlling, defensive midfielder. He is now the modern playmaker.”
“It’s great, we also want to win the last game”, De Jong himself analyzes the match against Austria, which was won by goals from Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries. “But it’s nice that you already know for sure that you’re first. We took the lead, but at one point they had more possession in the second half. We have given little away and created enough ourselves. You know when at some point you get spaces when you are in the lead and Donyell (Malen, ed.) is threatening in the depths.”
The man of the match was not Denzel Dumfries or Frenkie de Jong
The report figures of Voetbalzone of the players of the Dutch.
“I just feel good. The previous match also, but then I had cramps towards the end. I haven’t had that yet this season. I don’t know what it was, maybe tension. But we have to recover well and then see what we do in the last game. It’s up to the coach. We will do what he has in mind,” says De Jong about the last group match against North Macedonia, which is scheduled for Monday. Van Hooijdonk would let De Jong decide on his own play. “Yes of course. If he thinks and feels that it is nice not to play a game. But he’s not going to do that.”
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