‘Chicken curry? Ate it myself and it was delicious’

“It was very strange. In our group app, messages suddenly came through that some guys were going home, that they were sick. That was a little shock,” Virgil van Dijk reflected on the departure of Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Joey Veerman and Bart Verbruggen.

They were affected by a viral infection ahead of the European Championship qualifier match with France and suddenly had to drop out. According to The Telegraph Would the chicken curry from Wednesday dinner be the cause.

“I don’t know where that story came from,” Van Dijk responded. “I ate chicken curry myself and it was delicious. Whether that is the cause? No clue. Nobody has any idea. I can’t imagine.”

The departure of the five, excluding the previously signed off Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn, does hit hard in the Oranje camp. “It’s certainly a huge blow, but the guys who are there now have to show it and they will. I have confidence in that,” Van Dijk said.

National coach Ronald Koeman balks at having more players unavailable Friday night, against World Cup finalist France.

“It already started on Monday, with Frenkie (de Jong, ed.) and Steven (Bergwijn, ed.). This is even more extreme. I’ve never experienced it myself. I looked at my phone at 7 this morning and then you have to switch quickly.”

Koeman then brought Kjell Scherpen, Ryan Gravenberch and Stefan de Vrij to the group. The chicken curry story, the national coach would not comment on that.

“I also think it is not the time to start speculating. Of course there are thoughts within the KNVB and the medical staff, but they have not yet been expressed. I am concerned with soccer.”

Still, he elaborated on the chicken curry story at the press conference. “A number of staff members were already not 100 percent fit on Tuesday. That that dish is the culprit is not true, in my opinion.”

According to Koeman, the possibility of Sven Botman, Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Veerman and/or Bart Verbruggen returning to the Orange for Monday’s qualifying match against Gibraltar is not out of the question.

“It’s not final yet. It depends on how that develops.”