Matthijs de Ligt feels responsible for the defeat that the Dutch national team suffered on Sunday in the eighth final of the European Championship. After a red card for the defender, at a score of 0-0, the Czech Republic took the game: 0-2. “Very bad of course,” De Ligt responds when asked how he feels. “You actually lose the match because of an action by me. That feels very annoying of course.”
De Ligt threatened to lose a duel with Patrik Schick, moved his hand to the ball and was sent away after the intervention of the VAR. “You have the match under control. Then one such ball comes”, the Juventus defender looks back in conversation with the NOS. “I think I let him bounce, which was not good afterwards. Then I fall to the ground, I get a light push, which actually makes me hands.”
The VAR intervenes, the referee goes to look and finds a handball. Red for de Ligt. pic.twitter.com/awMYMWRQey
— NOS Sports (@NOSsport) June 27, 2021
“Ultimately, that changes the game. It’s that simple. That should not happen to me. When I see how the team continues to fight in the last minutes, I can only be proud. Then I feel very responsible,” continues De Ligt , who before his red card did not have the idea that the the Dutch was handing over the game. “I honestly didn’t have that feeling. I thought we were in control and had some chances in the first half.”
“There were no shots on target, but there were a number of possibilities. I did not feel that the Czech Republic had many opportunities. Neither did we. It went straight. Then that red card just makes the difference,” continues De Ligt, who does. noticed that the Dutch was having a hard time. “The Czech Republic is a team that is physically strong and does not shy away from duels. We had a hard time with that at times. It was a fifty-fifty game, so my red card actually makes the difference.”
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The atmosphere in the dressing room is depressed, agrees De Ligt. “Playing a tournament is always a golden opportunity. If you fly out like that, it is very painful. We did well in the group stage. It is very sour to go out like this.” In the studio of the NOS Pierre van Hooijdonk says he understands that De Ligt is looking to blame himself. “Of course that is an exaggeration. But as a player you feel responsible for the red card and ultimately for the defeat. So I understand his feeling. But of course it wasn’t just that. It was the game, the players who didn’t gave home.”
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