Wesley Sneijder believes Netherlands didn’t deserve to qualify for Euro 2016 after the mistakes they made, but has backed boss Danny Blind to stay.
By James Rowe
Sneijder, who captained Netherlands during the 3-2 defeat to the Czech Republic on Tuesday, spoke to NOS reporter Bert Maalderink pitch side after the game.
Below is a transcript of the interview:
BM: “How do you feel?”
WS: “Empty, empty physically and mentally. If you know that you must win this game and just give it away”
BM: “That says everything (About this qualifying campaign)”
WS: “That’s the truth. Czech Republic are a good team even though they made a few changes they were well disciplined and compact. Then you know that you have to keep it tight at the back and that you will get chances. To fall behind in a silly way and then when it was 3-0 it was over ”
BM: “When you assess this qualification it was bad and all in all a sorry state of affairs”
WS: “We have made a lot of mistakes in these qualifiying games and they have been punished. There is nothing we can do now”
BM: “No European Championship. How hard is that to take? Or could you see it coming?”
WS: “Of course you could see it coming when Turkey won their last game but we still believed we could do it tonight”
BM: “What has to happen now? Players stopping at a certain age for example?”
WS: ” What do you think is a certain age? I am 31 and I feel fit. It’s up to the manager who he selects. It’s over and done with and we have to get ready for World Cup qualifiers and analyse what went wrong”
BM: “Speaking of the next set of qualifiers. Do you believe that Danny Blind must stay?”
WS: “Yes I believe so. You cannot blame Danny Blind for this. The players receive confidence to begin with and we have to pay that back. That applies to everyone including the technical staff we have to analyse it together but if you ask me if Blind should stay, I say yes”
BM: “Conclusion. Is it right that we are not going to Euro 2016 in France?”
WS: “If you assess our qualifying campaign it is right that we are not going.”
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The only real injustice of not making the Euros is Wesley won’t be there. All I hope is that he’s there at the next world cup, at the heart of it, pulling the strings. He’s a great player and a great man.
His roll needs to be redefined of that in the Pirlo style. The Oranje still needs his immense skill and vision during what will be the twilight of his career in 2018.