Not chicken curry, but roosters finally kill Orange – Geertruida injured

Koeman hopes Orange learns from loss

National coach Ronald Koeman reacts to the Netherlands’ big defeat against France (4-0). He did not expect the difference between the two countries to be so big.

The 60-year-old coach thinks the loss can have a positive effect on the next match, which will be played against Gibraltar on Monday. “You have to learn from it,” he said. At the same time, he stresses that the team should not dwell too long on tonight’s match.

Good start for new national coach Belgium

Domenico Tedesco has graced his debut as Belgium’s national coach with a big win. The home country was beaten 3-0 in Sweden, thanks to three goals by Romelu Lukaku.

A great start for the Red Devils in the fight for an EC ticket.

At Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimovic filled in at the age of 41. He is the oldest player ever to play in an EC qualifier.

FRA – NED | 88′ GOAL POINT France

At the last minute, France scores in the second half after all. Kylian Mbappé shoots the ball into the corner after a good action. Just before, a French goal was disallowed.

In addition, there is bad news for the Feyenoorders. Lutsharel Geertruida grabs his hamstring and has to leave the field.

FRA – NED | 80′ France and Netherlands dangerous

Davy Klaassen delivered the ball to Kylian Mbappé, but Jasper Cillessen kept the goal clean through a good save in the second half. The Netherlands also became dangerous once more through Donyell Malen.

Meanwhile, popular French striker Olivier Giroud entered the field to loud applause.

FRA – NED | 75′ Netherlands cannot, France need not

France started playing in a lower gear in the second half. They lean back, while the Netherlands can’t really get dangerous. Orange doesn’t get beyond some free kicks.

Holland has to watch out for the French counter punches, because they do go into top gear.

FRA – NED | 67′ 100th international for Blind and return of Malen

Daley Blind comes into the field for Marten de Roon. It is the 100th international for the 33-year-old Bayern Munich player. Davy Klaassen and Donyell Malen also enter the field for the Netherlands. They come into the field for Xavi Simons and Steven Berghuis.

At France, Moussa Diaby replaces Kingsley Coman.

Koeman: ‘Wieffer not armpit fresh’

The first lineup was a puzzle for Ronald Koeman. He acknowledged that himself before the match. His lineup is “half or almost half” different from the one he envisioned at the beginning of the week.

The national coach also says that Mats Wieffer is not “armpit fresh.” The Feyenoord player was a serious option for a spot in midfield, though.

Koeman says he is not nervous either. “If the coach gets confused, the players will notice,” he said.

Also new start for the Belgians

Belgium will also play tonight for the first time under the new national coach. Under the leadership of Domenico Tedesco, the bad taste after the elimination in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar should be washed away. Sweden is the opponent tonight. Below are the first 11 names of the 37-year-old Italian-German coach, who has succeeded Roberto Martinez.

Eden Hazard and Toby Alderweireld thanked for Belgium and Axel Witsel and Dries Mertens were not called up.

Lineup Orange, with Geertruida, Taylor and Simons

The eleven names Ronald Koeman is sending into the field tonight are known. The most notable names are goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, defender Lutsharel Geertruida, midfielder Kenneth Taylor and Xavi Simons, who will be posted on the outside.

Geertruida is at center back and Jurriën Timber at right back.

Koeman not with strongest team

Koeman begins his new period as national coach with a depleted squad. Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn did not report to the training camp due to injuries. Later, Bart Verbruggen, Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Joey Veerman and Cody Gakpo dropped out due to viral infections.

Mbappé ‘capitaine’ with OneLove band in first international after losing World Cup final

France will play its first international tonight since the lost World Cup final against Argentina in December. Goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris is no longer there, making star striker Kylian Mbappé the new captain. He, like Virgil van Dijk, plays with the OneLove captain’s armband.

Karim Benzema and Raphaël Varane have also quit the French team.

Also goal for world champion Messi

Argentina won its first match as reigning world champions last night. Led by captain Lionel Messi, national coach Lionel Scaloni’s team was too strong for Panama 2-0 in a practice match in Buenos Aires.

Messi completed the Argentine celebration just before time by scoring the second goal from a free kick. He thus signed for the eight hundredth goal of his prolific career.

It was party time in Buenos Aires anyway, as the Argentine team was loudly applauded. This caused emotions among the players and national coach Lionel Scaloni.

Ronaldo continues to score for Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo attracted attention in Group J. He scored twice in Portugal’s 4-0 win against Liechtenstein.

In this pool, Slovakia and Luxembourg shared the points and Bosnia-Herzegovina recorded a 3-0 victory over Iceland.

Back from the off: king pair Depay-Wijnaldum

National coach Ronald Koeman likes to think in pairs, in players who add value when combined. Tonight’s European Cup qualifier with France (8:45 p.m., live at NOS) could mean the return of his former king pair, the combination Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay.

It offers something of staying power after a week full of setbacks.

Without the suspended Denzel Dumfries, without the injured Steven Bergwijn and Frenkie de Jong and without the sick Cody Gakpo and Matthijs de Ligt, Koeman begins his second term as national coach on Friday night. With vice-world champion France as opponent at the Stade de France and, in that regard, lousy past results as a frame of reference.

The Netherlands did not win any of the last nine away duels with France. The Orange’s last victory over France on French soil predates World War II. Thanks in part to a hat trick by Beb Bakhuys, the Orange won 6-1 in January 1936.

Netherlands earlier under Koeman against France

In September 2018, the Netherlands also played in and against France. Then they lost 2-1. For France, Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud scored. Ryan Babel scored for the Netherlands.

Koeman does know how to win against France as national coach of Orange. More than two months after the defeat at the Stade de France, the French were defeated 2-0 at De Kuip.

PSV leases American Ledezma

There is also transfer news a little closer to home: PSV is renting Richard Ledezma to New York City FC until the end of 2023.

The American (22), who had extended his contract in Eindhoven last week until 2025, played 23 games in the main force of the Brabanders.

In those, he scored one goal. Ledezma made 11 appearances for PSV this season.

Tuchel succeeds Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich

But before era Koeman II begins, we take a quick trip to Germany, where Bayern Munich has made a coach change. Thomas Tuchel succeeds the sacked Julian Nagelsmann

Tuchel, who signed a contract until mid-2025, was without a club following his dismissal from Chelsea last September.

The 48-year-old coach won the 2021 Champions League with Chelsea and previously worked at Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.

Nagelsmann’s resignation from Bayern came as a big surprise. ‘Der Rekordmeister’ is one point behind leader Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. In the Champions League, Nagelsmann’s team impressed by eliminating PSG with conviction.

Koeman II era really gets going now

With the match against France, Ronald Koeman’s second term as Oranje national team coach will really begin. Koeman has known for more than a year that he is the new national team coach and the players have been together since Monday, but tonight the first game in the Koeman II era will be played.

Koeman was previously national team coach of the Netherlands between February 2018 to August 2020, when he left for FC Barcelona. The last game of the Dutch national team under Koeman was played back in November 2019 due to corona. Back then, Estonia was defeated 5-0.