“Let the best players skip games to prevent overloading”

Andreas Juncker, coach of the national team, says that the schedule of footballers is very busy. One solution is to play fewer tournaments, and Juncker thinks skipping the Olympics is best.

“With the men, the Olympics are not for the top players. I think we are also going in that direction with the women. So every two years is a European Championship or a World Cup, but also not a tournament in the intervening years,” Juncker says.

For men, players under the age of 23 mainly go to the Olympics, there is no age limit for women, usually countries with the same players they play with also go to the European Championship or the World Cup.

The national coach sees some of his players getting a little rest. “The core of this group has to play five tournaments in seven summers. This is unimaginable in men’s football.” He says some players took a day off last summer before they had to inform their club.

Juncker sees a busy schedule as “too much good” and sees a well-packed playing calendar causing overload and injuries. This is why it gives players comfort.

For example, he did not call up Vivian Miedema and Gilles Rurd for the next two international matches. In the previous international, Lake Martins, Dominic Jansen and Stephanie van der Gragget all had a break.

Van der Gragt indicated that this was not necessary for the latter after training in preparation for the review match with Costa Rica next Friday. “It seems like it was necessary, but in the end I always want to be there,” said van der Graggt, who understands why the national coach is doing it.

Jonker points out that most players like the break. “It’s an amazing experience,” he says.

The Orange Women prepare for training matches with Costa Rica (November 11 in Utrecht) and Denmark (November 15 in Zwolle).

The Dutch women’s team is working for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. In the group stage, the Netherlands will meet the United States and Vietnam and the winner of the play-offs.