Netherlands national team head coach Ronald Koeman has explained that whilst Inter wingback Denzel Dumfries is suspended for the national team’s first EURO 2024 qualifier of the international break, he wanted to call the 26-year-old.
Speaking in a press conference, as reported by FCInterNews, the Oranje coach explained that he had decided that the Nerazzurri player still has a place in his squad, in the context of his response to Fulham’s Kenny Tete who was critical of the fact that he did not have a spot in the squad.
Dumfries has established himself as something of a fixture down the right side of the Netherlands’ team, having been everpresent for them at both the most recent Euros and at the World Cup.
The Dutchman finds himself suspended for the Oranje’s first of two EURO 2024 qualifiers during the international break, against France.
However, from the coach’s perspective, Koeman still wanted to have Dumfries available for the second match of the break against Malta.
Tete had been critical of having been left out despite his club form, but Koeman stated that “The players I called up are the ones I want in the position, I called up a large preliminary squad but then had to make decisions.”
“I called up Dumfries despite the fact that he will be suspended against France,” he added.
