Daley Blind has had a lot of reactions in the past two weeks to his emotional interview after the opening game with Ukraine (3-2) at the European Championship. The defender of the Dutch national team, who was hit hard by the illness of former teammate Christian Eriksen, hopes that people will draw strength from his words. Blind considered not playing against Ukraine at all, although in the end it did. He had tears in his eyes when national coach Frank de Boer took him off the field prematurely.
“I had to overcome a mental hurdle for myself today to play. I had trouble with that, last night and today. I am proud that I did it. In the end, the emotion comes out,” said Blind on June 13 at the NOS. Skipping the opening game was a serious option for him. “Those thoughts run through your head. Yesterday’s moment had a big impact on me and made me realize a lot. That only makes the moment today more difficult to get on the field. I didn’t sleep well, should I to be honest. It was a big mental hurdle to do this anyway.”
Daley Blind declares tears: ‘I considered not playing tonight’
The the Dutch defender seriously thought about skipping the game with Ukraine.
“A lot of reactions, a lot of statements of support”, Blind opens in conversation with the NOS. “A lot of people who also feel this way and hopefully can draw some strength from it. And who also indicate that. A lot of media too and what I say, there has been a lot of response, yes. On the one hand, I did not expect that it would release so much, in the end your feeling or emotion takes the upper hand and then you speak out. They are beautiful reactions I have received,” said Blind, who wants to draw a line under the entire defibrillator story.
“I don’t want to go on too long, it shouldn’t become another item,” emphasizes Blind. “Of course something like this does not happen overnight. It is something that you are confronted with continuously when you play a match. My father also indicated that it took a while before I really stopped thinking about it. What I say , it won’t happen overnight and it will take time again, but I feel very strong mentally. I know my body and I know I’m ready.”
Blind is then asked whether he is surprised by the rapid rehabilitation of his ankle injury, sustained in the World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar (0-7 win) in March. “I’m not surprised about it, but it’s something you hope for afterwards. I know how much work I put in, also in terms of fitness, to deteriorate as little as possible. It didn’t come as a very big deal to me. surprise, but of course it still has to happen on the field. I was very happy that it went like this. I feel one hundred percent physically.” Blind was replaced by de Boer against Ukraine and Austria. Against North Macedonia, however, he was allowed to complete the ninety minutes.
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