MY ACCOUNT
Ronald Koeman believes managing the Netherlands will be easier the second time around.
After a three-year absence, Koeman returned to the Oranje set up to succeed Frank de Boer following the World Cup in Qatar.
A second spell in charge begins with a daunting test against France as qualification for Euro 2024 gets underway on Friday at the Stade de France in Paris.
Koeman’s initial stint with the national side brought an end to an absence from international competitions, leading the Netherlands to qualification for Euro 2020 – their first tournament since the 2014 World Cup.
However, Koeman left for Barcelona and did not take charge at the tournament, and returns to the fold with unfinished business.
“It’s easier now than it was back then. There are a couple of players I have seen at my clubs, but 14 or 15 of the guys that are here I have worked with already, including Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn,” he told a press conference.
“But there’s also a couple of new guys. I’m curious what they think, what we think of them as players, those are fun conversations to have.
“I also had a lot of contact when I left the national team with my captain, Virgil van Dijk. Everything feels very familiar.
“We want to make this squad successful, we have to do that together. We are strong, but we need to work hard to perform well.
“You always follow players at their clubs, and new players also come here with certain nerves. The level is high, it’s nice to see that the group does a lot of things together.
“Even the new guys are joining the ‘old’ guys at the table. That’s a nice process. That’s good to see.”
