Frank de Boer is certain that Netherlands would have defeated the Czech Republic at Euro 2020 if it was not for Matthijs de Ligt’s red card.

Netherlands were knocked out in the last 16 by the Czech Republic, losing 2-0 after De Ligt was sent off in the 55th minute. The loss cost Frank de Boer his job as he was replaced by Louis van Gaal.

De Boer was a guest on Ziggo Sport show Rondo, and he reflected on what went wrong, “It is always difficult to put our finger on that, but I am convinced that if we had not received that red card, we would have won one hundred percent against the Czech Republic.

“It wasn’t our best game, but I thought we were the better ones, especially in the second half. Then we had control and we also had two very good opportunities to go 1-0. Then you get that red card and that’s it. That’s a shame. I am convinced that we would have won against the Czech Republic with at least eleven men, then you don’t know how it will go in the rest of the tournament.”

De Boer stands by his decision to play in a 5-3-2, “I said then: I think this is the best thing for us to go the furthest in the tournament. But you don’t think that if four players had come to me, I wouldn’t have listened to them, do you? That didn’t happen.”




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