According to Nicolò Schira, Frank de Boer has completed his last match as national coach of the Dutch national team. The Italian journalist, who is less influential than, for example, Fabrizio Romano, but is certainly a renowned name in the rumor circuit, claims via social media on Monday morning that the KNVB is about to say goodbye to the 51-year-old coach.
“The KNVB is about to fire Frank de Boer. Many board members are dissatisfied,” Schira assures on Twitter, where he has collected 144,000 followers. The Netherlands stranded on Saturday due to the 0-2 defeat against the Czech Republic in the eighth finals of the European Championship. In the group stage, the the Dutch grew into the most scoring team of the European Championship thanks to victories over Ukraine (3-2), Austria (2-0) and North Macedonia (0-3). Once in the knockout phase, things went wrong for the Dutch national team.
#Ned National Team are set to sack Frank #The farmer. Many members of the federation board are dissatisfied. #transfers #EURO2020
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) June 28, 2021
De Boer himself seems to want to continue as national coach of the Dutch, although he wants to let the elimination sink in before he talks about his future at the Dutch. The national coach is still under contract with the KNVB until the World Cup at the end of 2022 in Qatar. “Will I remain national coach? I don’t have to answer that now,” said De Boer at the press conference after the elimination in Budapest. “I’m going to think slowly at first, but now I’m still full of emotion. Now is not the time to evaluate.”
The evaluation moment will take place sometime in the coming weeks. De Boer acknowledged that the the Dutch should not be satisfied with the European Championship, after he had expressed his hope of reaching the semi-finals before the tournament and even dreamed aloud about the European title the day before the meeting with the Czechs. “It was not good, otherwise we would have continued at the European Championship. We have to evaluate well and see what can be done better next time.”
De Boer was appointed in September last year as the successor to those who left for Barcelona. Under his care, the the Dutch played fifteen international matches, of which eight were won, four drawn and three lost. In any case, De Boer still sees a future in the 5-3-2 system, in which he let the the Dutch start in all four European Championship matches. “This is the system that best suits these players. We have always been the dominant team in the group matches at the European Championship, with creative players in the midfield.”
“I’m sure we can move forward with this.” The next international match of the Dutch is the important World Cup qualifier in Oslo against Norway on September 1.
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