In the early hours of June 26th, during the final group stage match of the European Championship, the Netherlands suffered a 2-3 defeat to Austria. Amidst this intense clash, a poignant scene unfolded as Dutch player Joey Veerman, overwhelmed with disappointment, burst into tears on the bench after being substituted.
Veerman was replaced as early as the 36th minute due to his underwhelming performance. Data revealed that the PSV Eindhoven midfielder registered 29 touches, 16 errors, and a dismal passing accuracy of just 47%, managing only 9 successful passes out of 19 attempts.
Faced with Veerman’s poor form, Netherlands national team coach Ronald Koeman was forced to make a tactical substitution in a bid to turn the tide of the match.
As Veerman realized he was being substituted, he left the pitch with a heavy heart. Upon reaching the bench, his emotions surged, and he couldn’t hold back the tears. He even resorted to shielding his face with his training jacket until teammates came to comfort him, gradually calming him down.
During the halftime break, former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart expressed sympathy for Veerman on television commentary: “I feel sorry for Joey Veerman, but I’m glad he was substituted, because watching him play was truly painful.”
Koeman also addressed Veerman’s performance in his post-match interview: “I can’t really explain what happened.”
When questioned by reporters about Veerman’s condition, Koeman responded: “You might need to ask him directly to get the answer.”
Koeman further elaborated: “At that moment, I felt it was necessary to take action, it was my responsibility. I understand the immense pain he’s experiencing now. Actually, considering our poor performance in the first half and the frequent goals conceded, I contemplated making even more changes. Unfortunately, Joey’s performance became one of the reasons for the necessary change.”
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