Frimpong thanks for Jong Oranje, which goes to EC with Brobbey and Verbruggen

National coach Erwin van de Looi has announced his selection for next summer’s European Under-21 country team championships in Georgia and Romania. The big absentee is Jeremie Frimpong, who has thanked for the Young Oranje.

“He chose not to make himself available for Jong Oranje after not being selected for the Dutch national team. For us this is of course very unfortunate, but I think even without Frimpong we are left with a fine selection for the European Championship,” Van de Looi said.

The 22-year-old Frimpong is having an excellent season with Bayer Leverkusen and was included in the Elftal van het Jaar in the Bundesliga. The right defender was taken to Qatar by Louis van Gaal, but his successor Ronald Koeman does not need him.

Frimpong is still waiting for his debut in Oranje and could in theory also play for Ghana, where his roots are, and England, where he has played since he was seven. Although he has previously made it known that he feels he is Dutch and would choose Orange.

Van de Looi does have Ajax striker Brian Brobbey and Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen at his disposal at the Young Oranje. They come over from the Dutch national team and were not in the pre-selection of Jong Oranje.

Some of the dropouts are Mitchel Bakker (Bayer Leverkusen), Bjorn Meijer (Club Brugge), Jay Gorter (Aberdeen FC), Dirk Proper (NEC) and Sydney van Hooijdonk (sc Heerenveen). Especially notable is the absence of regular Bakker.

Bakker, Frimpong’s teammate, had initially opted out to focus on preparation at his club. He later returned to this, but then the coach made other choices at his position.

Jong Oranje will travel to Austria on Monday, June 12, for a training camp in preparation for the European Championship. In Wiener Neustadt, they will practice against the Olympic team of Japan.

It is for the second time in a row that the Dutch Junior Team will participate in the European Championship. At the previous edition in 2021, which was played over two periods due to the coronavirus outbreak, the team reached the semifinals, in which Germany was too strong. Tickets for the Paris Olympics can be earned at the EC.

It is the last tournament with Van de Looi as national coach. He is replaced after the European Championship by Michael Reiziger, who is leaving as assistant coach at Ajax. He has signed in Zeist until the 2025 European Championship.