Virgil van Dijk believes that the Netherlands has an advantage compared to the last time Oranje reached the final of the Nations League. According to the captain, back then there was a lack of realization that the Netherlands could win a trophy.
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During the press conference, Van Dijk was asked if there is any energy left after such a long and demanding season. "That can be challenging. But almost ten players have already experienced the Nations League final.
At that time, there might not have been a real awareness that we were playing for a trophy. That awareness is more present now, which leads to energy arising more quickly and easily. The energy and the level have been very high in training."
In 2019, the Netherlands reached the final of the Nations League but lost to Portugal. "After the lost final, we realized that we should have approached it differently. We should have had more passion as a team. Of course, that was the first edition, and we didn't know what to expect. But I would love to lift that trophy, although we shouldn't think about it yet. Croatia is a difficult opponent to beat, as has been proven in recent years."
Back then, Van Dijk arrived late at the Dutch national team as a winner of the Champions League with Liverpool. This was also the case with Nathan Aké, who won with Manchester City this time. "He returned very late to Zeist yesterday. It's a shame it wasn't the same as before, when we were all applauding. But in the morning, we certainly did that anyway. We are, of course, very happy for him and all that he has achieved this season. It's something very special. It deserves applause."
Updated: 04:06, 13 Jun 2023
