Euro 2025: Netherlands team guide – a stellar squad with injury issues and a daunting task
As former European champions, having won this competition on home soil when managed by Sarina Wiegman in 2017, the Netherlands know what it takes to win. But this summer looks to be one of their toughest challenges yet on the big stage.
They have struggled of late, affected by injuries to key players, including top scorer Vivianne Miedema, and being drawn into the tournament's most difficult group alongside title holders England and Euro 2022 semi-finalists France makes for plenty of jeopardy.
Euro 2025 is a finale of sorts for Andries Jonker. The 62-year-old former Barcelona assistant manager's contract expires following this tournament and it was announced in January he would be leaving the role after three years, with Arjan Veurink — Wiegman's current assistant with England — succeeding him.
Advertisement
Jonker's legacy is complicated. After the Euro 2022 debacle that ended in a quarter-finals exit under Mark Parsons, he became a salvation figure, reinvigorating a team and a nation that once threatened to dominate the global game. That Jonker did so is unsurprising. His CV includes being on Louis van Gaal's coaching staff at Barca and Bayern Munich, roles at FC Volendam, MVV Maastricht, Willem II and Wolfsburg, as well as being director of the academy at Arsenal for three years.
However, some uninspired performances and constant rotations over the past year have led some fans to question whether his magic touch might be deserting him.
Jonker has been known to use various formations, switching from a 5-3-2 to a more familiar 4-3-3 depending on the opposition. Dominance in possession is still the ideal and, in both tactical setups, the defenders are asked to push high up the pitch in order to pressure the opposition quickly, particularly in the centre, to force turnovers.
The Netherlands are not short of candidates here, but a player growing in stature for Jonker's side is Wieke Kaptein. The 19-year-old Chelsea midfielder has had a breakthrough year with the serial Women's Super League champions and has consistently shown a work ethic, composure and intelligence beyond her years in the centre of the pitch.
Equally important is Wolfsburg forward Lineth Beerensteyn. The 28-year-old was the Netherlands' top scorer during the qualification campaign for Euro 2025 and her 17 league goals in 20 appearances this season will inspire confidence. And of course, no list would be accurate without including Miedema. The Manchester City striker is one of the global game's most ferocious and intelligent goalscorers.
All of this is to say: fitness is the biggest influential player for the Dutch. In their final round of Nations League matches a month ago, they were without first-choice goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, as well as attacking totems Beerensteyn and Miedema.
The Netherlands' quality on the ball is inarguable and young talents such as Kaptein and Barcelona's Esmee Brugts are complementing more established players such as Danielle van de Donk, Beerensteyn and Miedema well. Even these young players already have major tournament experience — a huge strength given their tough group. Getting to the knockout phase will take guile as much as craft, something the Dutch boast in abundance.
The Netherlands head into the European Championship without an established starting XI. That is not inherently bad and tactical flexibility, particularly during a major tournament, is usually a boon. But with recurring injuries to key players such as Jill Roord, Miedema and Victoria Pelova — and regular rotations in defence — chemistry has been hard to hone. Often, players look unsure of team-mates' positions and can consequently concede possession in dangerous situations.
They have not had good luck when it comes to fitness. Beerensteyn, Miedema and Van Domselaar were the most recent names on the injury list and the impact was clear as the Dutch were thumped 4-0 away to Germany in the Nations League at the end of May. Beerensteyn is said to be ready to return to competitive play ahead of the summer and Miedema left their training camp altogether before that international break finished due to fitness issues but returned to action and scored twice in a 2-1 friendly win over Finland on Thursday.
The Netherlands have quietly gone about their business since the start of 2024, losing five of their 18 matches. Yet performances have not always been convincing and results have begun to suffer. Draws with Finland and Italy were disappointing, but not as damaging as that heavy defeat in Germany, who finished top of their Nations League group. There was also a dull 1-1 draw with Scotland in their final Nations League game a few days later.
Ask a Netherlands supporter what the likelihood is of their team going far in Switzerland this summer and the answer is textbook: let's make it out of the group first.
True enough, Group D is not for the weak of heart: France and England, plus a Wales side making their major tournament debut. Conclusion? At least one big hitter is going home early.
The Dutch boast an elite squad and have nous in stepping up on the big stage (you don't win a European Championship and then reach the final of a World Cup two years later by fluke). Yet, recent performances have been shaky and without an established starting XI, they remain a bit of a mystery.
Get through the group, however, and this lot could go far.
The Netherlands announced in April that England women's assistant head coach Veurink will replace Jonker after Euro 2025. Veurink served as an assistant under Wiegman when she was in charge of the Dutch women's side from 2017 to 2021, winning Euro 2017 and reaching the 2019 World Cup final.
GO DEEPER
Arjan Veurink, England's 'tactical genius' who is Sarina Wiegman's right-hand man
The 38-year-old then followed Wiegman to England in 2021 and helped them win the Euros on home soil the following year. He is considered a 'tactical genius' by some in the English squad.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Club World Cup knockout stage bracket: Schedule, who's qualified and match locations
FIFA's newly-expanded Club World Cup has reached the end of its group phase, with two weeks of knockout matches to come ahead of the final on July 13. Having risen from seven teams to 32 for this summer's tournament in the United States, 16 teams will now compete in the knockouts for the chance to potentially walk away with up to $125million in prize money for less than a month's work. Advertisement European giants Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica all topped their groups, while Brazilian clubs Palmeiras and Flamengo were also group-winners. Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Juventus had to settle for runners-up spots, however, while Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Botafogo, Monterrey, Fluminense and Al Hilal also progressed to the round of 16. In a feisty group stage – notable for extreme heat, surprise upsets and red cards – three European sides were eliminated: RB Salzburg, Porto and Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone's side were surprisingly pipped to second-place in Group B by Botafogo, despite winning two of their three group matches, including a 1-0 victory over the Brazilian side. Messi helped to ensure Miami finished ahead of Porto in Group A, scoring a brilliant direct free-kick in a 2-1 win over the Portuguese side in Atlanta. Miami will be the only Major League Soccer representatives in the knockouts after both Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC finished bottom of their groups, with just one point between them. City were the only club to win all three of their group games, including a 5-2 dismantling of Juventus, who finished as group runners-up. Real, Dortmund, Inter, Benfica and Flamengo were all, though, unbeaten across their three group games. Argentine giants Boca Juniors and River Plate were also eliminated in the group, along with Al Ahly, Auckland City, ES Tunis, Urawa Reds, Mamelodi Sundowns, Ulsan, Al Ain, Wydad AC and Pachuca. Match 49: June 28, 12pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Match 50: June 28, 4pm ET Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Match 53: June 30, 3pm ET Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Match 54: June 30, 9pm ET Camping World Stadium, Orlando Match 51: June 29, 12pm ET Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Match 52: June 29, 4pm ET Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Match 55: July 1, 3pm ET Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Match 56: July 1, 9pm ET Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Match 58: July 4, 9pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Match 57: July 4, 3pm ET Camping World Stadium, Orlando Match 59: July 5, 12pm ET Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Match 60: July 5, 4pm ET MetLife Stadium, New Jersey Match 61: July 8, 3pm ET MetLife Stadium, New Jersey Match 62: July 9, 3pm ET MetLife Stadium, New Jersey Match 63: July 13, 3pm ET MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Is Florida the early leader for No. 1 QB in Class of 2027? Notes from UA Next Future 50
BRADENTON, Fla. — Kennedy Brown was on the verge of being called up to the varsity at Kingwood High School in Humble, Texas, as a freshman when he tore the ACL in his right knee trying to make a tackle. 'I was running across the field and when the player with the ball cut back, I planted my knee and it got twisted,' the towering 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle said. 'I got turf-monstered.' Advertisement Brown said he considered quitting football. He's glad he didn't. Brown started every game last fall as a sophomore for Kingwood's varsity team at right tackle and punctuated his comeback by squatting 495 pounds during spring workouts. Now, he's the No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2027 in the 247Sports Composite. He received his first offer from Texas Tech in September, and the list of suitors continues to grow. Oregon and Texas are among his early leaders, he said Friday at the Under Armour Next Future 50. But Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State and USC are all high on his list, too. College coaches were first allowed to initiate contact with rising juniors on June 15. Brown said he made unofficial visits to Oregon, Nebraska, USC, Georgia, Clemson and Alabama this spring. He would like to get to Notre Dame soon. He lived in Indiana for six years before moving back to Texas, where he was born. 'I'll probably commit next summer,' Brown said. 'I plan to start (right away in college). I want to go to a place that I'm needed and not wanted.' He was asked about the role NIL compensation will play in his final decision. 'I'm not necessarily into money,' he said. 'I'm not a materialistic type of person. Tattoos, watches and grills, and all that, I'm not into that. I grew up in a great environment. My mom, I appreciate her significantly. I don't have to do all that.' Brown was one of eight five-star prospects in the Class of 2027 who is participating in this weekend's events at IMG Academy. Here are some updates on a few of the top QBs in the class. • Elijah Haven, the only five-star quarterback, for now, in the Class of 2027 in the 247Sports Composite, recently completed a two-week tour where he hit seven schools. The Baton Rouge, La., native started at Georgia and then hit Clemson, Auburn, Michigan, Alabama and Ohio State before completing the trip at Florida. Advertisement Haven said LSU, Ohio State, Michigan and Alabama are high on his list, but the Gators appear to be standing out a little more than others for the 6-5, 220-pounder who plays at The Dunham School. Haven said his conversation with Gators sophomore DJ Lagway — the No. 2 QB recruit in the Class of 2024 — on his recent visit to Gainesville was eye-opening. '(Lagway) said the relationships he built in his recruitment process with the coaches is what separated them for him,' Haven said. 'They didn't fake it or anything, and they were always welcoming to him and to his family. That's a big thing for me. It's just about fit for me, whether it's LSU or if it's their rival.' Haven said his mother likes Florida and his dad, who was born in Atlanta and raised a Georgia fan, is in lock-step with whatever he decides. Haven said he rooted for Joe Burrow and LSU as a child. The Tigers won the national title when he was in fifth grade. Haven said early playing time is something he covets in his college choice, but he's also 'not opposed to learning from a guy like DJ Lagway for a year or two.' Is there a program Haven would like to visit before making a final decision? 'Miami, I've never been up there,' Haven said. 'They were one of the schools that contacted me on June 15, but as far as making it out there, we haven't planned it. Seeing what Cam Ward did last year, it's definitely one of those schools I could see myself playing at with the playing style he had.' Does playing for a national championship contender matter to Haven? 'That's definitely something I want to strive for,' Haven said. 'But I'm not going to go to a school just because they won a lot.' • Peyton Houston, the eighth-ranked quarterback and No. 85 overall recruit in the 2027 class, said Clemson, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas have made him feel like a priority early in the process. USC is also high on his list. Advertisement Houston, who plays at Evangel Christian in Shreveport, La., said Texas was the first team to call him at midnight on June 15. Houston said it's meaningful to him that he was also the first quarterback in the class who Clemson and USC offered. He would like to commit sometime this fall before the end of his junior year. 'The reason is because there's a lot of schools that just got onto the boat,' Houston said. 'You've got to really know the school, the people and just being able to build the relationship. The longest relationship I've had has been with (Texas assistant A.J. Milwee). I've known him since the seventh grade.' • Four-star quarterback Keegan Croucher, who plays at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, said Oregon, Ole Miss, Miami, Penn State, Indiana, Virginia Tech and Syracuse have been recruiting him the hardest thus far. He visited Oregon, Clemson, Penn State, Notre Dame, Miami and Ole Miss in June. The Ducks and Nittany Lions appear to be early leaders, with the Hurricanes and Rebels slightly behind. Which visit blew him away? 'Oregon, for sure, I really liked it. First time being out there,' the New York native said. 'I was a little skeptical being that far away from home. It didn't feel that far away.' He's been to Penn State four times. What attracts him to the Nittany Lions? 'It is the closest to home,' Croucher said. 'What do I like? The relationships I've built, what they've done with Drew Allar, the fact they're constantly winning. Everything coach Franklin says is true. He really cares about his players. He said it's the best place to put people in the league. We'll see.' • Bobby Coleman Jr., the younger brother of Auburn sophomore star receiver Cam Coleman, said Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Louisville and UAB are the schools that have shown the most interest to this point. Advertisement The 6-1, 180-pound quarterback at Phenix City (Ala.) Central is 74th in the ESPN Top 300 but is unranked in the 247Sports Composite. Coleman was the backup last season to Tulsa signee Andrew Alford. He's completed 57 percent of his 42 pass attempts for 475 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions so far at the varsity level. (Top photo of Elijah Haven: Manny Navarro / The Athletic)
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is Michael Olise one of Bayern Munich's best signings of the modern era?
On April 26, Bayern Munich took a gigantic step towards securing their 34th Bundesliga title after demolishing Mainz 3-0 at the Allianz Arena – they would proceed to draw 3-3 to RB Leipzig, only to claim the championship due to Bayer Leverkusen's stalemate vs Freiburg. After reclaiming the title from Leverkusen's grasp, Bayern would proceed to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 before closing out the league campaign with a 4-0 victory at Hoffenheim. Arguably the finest player on the pitch vs Mainz was none other than Michael Olise. He worked his magic across the 90 minutes for the Bavarians, helping to instigate Leroy Sané's opening goal and driving Mainz' defense crazy with his sensational dribbling skills and delicate changes of direction, and he even drew an early yellow card from Philipp Mwene. And in the 40th minute, Olise picked the ball up on the right flank before wiggling inside and whipping a devilish left-footed effort into the near post. To put the cherry on top, Olise delivered a splendid corner kick towards the near post, where Eric Dier was ready to head home in the 84th minute. Advertisement It was a world-class display from Olise, who won 9 out of 14 ground duels, completed 33 out of 40 passes (including three key passes), created two big chances, and won seven fouls. He also did his job out of possession, winning one out of one aerial duel, completing two interceptions, and registering one tackle. And it was yet more evidence why Olise is proving to be one of Bayern's best signings in recent times. Born in London to a Nigerian father and French-Algerian mother, Olise enjoyed spells at Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City before making the move to Reading. It was here in Berkshire where Olise established himself as one of the best players in England's second division and was named as the EFL Young Player of the 2020/21 Season. However, just like Jimmy Conrad, he would have to carefully bide his time before making the step up to the highest level. 'He was very talented at the time, but I noticed that he needed to grow up a bit,' stated Everton goalkeeper João Virgínia, who played alongside Olise during the first half of the 2019/20 season. 'Once he matured, he became the player he is now. You could definitely see at the time that he had the talent, the speed, the dribbling skills…he's such a good player to watch and seeing him perform the way he is now is great.' These impressive displays caught the attention of Crystal Palace, who signed him for £8.37m in 2021. Over the next three years, Olise emerged as a vital cog in Palace's attack, becoming their youngest Premier League goalscorer since Clinton Morrison in 1998 as well as the youngest player to assist three goals from open play in a single Premier League match. Similarly to Fluminense's Jhon Arias, Olise boasted a penchant for not just setting his teammates in dangerous goalscoring positions, but also finding the back of the net with a ferocious effort. He became the first Palace player to register 10 assists in a single Premier League season in 2023, and in 2024, he racked up 10 goals and six assists in 19 appearances and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year. While plenty of Premier League sides like Arsenal and Manchester United registered an interest in signing him, it was Bayern who managed to pry him away for €60m including add-ons. Advertisement It hasn't taken long for him to make a name for himself in Bavaria. Olise needed just two minutes to assist Kingsley Coman's goal after making his debut vs SSV Ulm in the DFB-Pokal, and he's built on that momentum and emerged as a vital performer for Vincent Kompany's Bayern, racking up 17 goals and 21 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions. Thanks to his world-class dribbling skills and his unique blend of technical finesse and creativity, Olise can play just about anywhere in attack and make an impact, but he's mainly favoured the right side of Kompany's 4-2-3-1. Olise leads all Bundesliga players with 15 assists and 12.51 Expected Assists, whilst he also sits atop the league with 32 big chances created. To put Olise's brilliance in perspective, he has created 32 big chances in the Bundesliga, nearly twice as many as second-placed Florian Wirtz (17). At 23 years of age, he has established himself as one of the most creative threats in the Premier League and the Bundesliga, and he has beaten out plenty of competition to emerge as one of the first names on the team sheet. It's little surprise why Olise has finally begun to draw the attention of the national team. After impressing for France in their silver-place finish in last summer's Summer Olympics alongside the likes of Rayan Cherki and Desire Doue, Olise has finally managed to make his mark for France's senior team. Bayern Munich are going through a transition in attack. Leroy Sane has left Bayern for Galatasaray, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry could be headed for the exit door this summer, while Thomas Müller has confirmed his departure after 25 years at the club. However, in Olise, they have a player who is capable of leading the charge for Bayern's attack not just in the long term, but the short term as well. And after winning the first trophy of his career, he's hungrier than ever to add another piece of silverware with the FIFA Club World Cup underway. Having finished second in their group behind Portuguese giants Benfica, Bayern will head to Miami on Sunday to face Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo – if they win, they will meet either PSG or Inter Miami.
