Pierre van Hooijdonk is very critical of Ronald Koeman's choice of Steven Bergwijn in the starting line-up against Romania. The former striker even accuses the Dutch national coach of cronyism. “I think it's a bad explanation from Koeman,” said Van Hooijdonk at the NOS.

Koeman explained that Bergwijn should play 'on the inside' on the right wing, also to give the upcoming right back Denzel Dumfries space on the sideline of the field. “I think Donyell Malen can do that well too,” says Van Hooijdonk.

“We've also often seen Malen as a centre forward,” Van Hooijdonk recalls. “If you can play there and you can also play on the outside, then it's not such a big change to go in between. I still find it a very surprising choice.”

Koeman also said that Bergwijn showed in his first period as national coach that he can play on the inside of the right wing. “I think that's a bad reason,” says Van Hooijdonk. “We are here at a European Championship. We are not at some kind of farewell tournament, where you also bring certain friends who have done certain things in the past.”

Rafael van der Vaart is less harsh on the selection of Bergwijn. “It's not like the others are playing their hearts out. You can see from Koeman that it's based on a feeling… Koeman sees him in training, he says that Bergwijn has become fitter, then maybe this is the moment.”

Van Hooijdonk does not agree with that. “We saw that at the World Cup in Qatar with Louis van Gaal, who also gambled on guys who actually did not have the form, and in the end that did not work out well either. This from Koeman is based on hope. It is hope.”

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