Virgil van Dijk says reports he decided Netherlands tactics at World Cup are ‘utter nonsense’
· Yahoo Sports
Virgil van Dijk has hit back at criticism following the Netherlands’ World Cup failure and dismissed claims that he was responsible for the team changing tactics.
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The Netherlands defender insisted tactical decisions were made by the coaching staff and described suggestions that he and Ronald Koeman had “destroyed Dutch football” as “utter nonsense”.
“One of your colleagues also said, of course, that it was my idea to switch to playing with a back five. That is utter nonsense,” Van Dijk told one reporter.
“The fact is we simply failed at the World Cup. Those are the hard facts.
“We didn’t play a good World Cup. It’s not about me. You perform together; you’re a team.
“Your claim that I destroyed Dutch football after the World Cup, that sort of thing is completely baseless.”
Van Dijk said he had been unfairly singled out for the Netherlands’ tactical approach and stressed that the system was devised by Koeman and his staff.
“The plan is devised by the staff,” he continued. “Nonsense is being spread so that I look even worse. That happens far too often.
“I was told that it was my fault we played with five, that Ronald Koeman and I have destroyed Dutch football.
“The plan worked for 89 minutes, even though it was a bad match. We almost broke through.
“The idea that I destroyed Dutch football makes absolutely no sense. I didn’t decide that.”