After the elimination of Jong Oranje, all eyes are on Oranje under 19. Bond coach Peter van der Veen’s team can provide the first main prize for the Netherlands since 2019 in the final against Spain on Thursday evening.
Six years ago, Orange under 17 was the last successful team in men. In that age category, the Netherlands also conquered most of the awards by far. Also in 2011, 2012 and 2018, Orange under 17 grabbed the European title.
The other two prizes are in the name of Jong Oranje, who won 4-1 from Serbia in the EK final in Groningen in 2007 under the leadership of Foppe de Haan. The year before, Jong Oranje won the European Championship in Portugal, with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the outstanding player.
Orange under 19 can therefore ensure the seventh title of a youth team in men on Thursday evening. The team can also write history with the first main prize for the Netherlands in this age category.
Reaching the final was already a scoop for Orange under 19. The team had already reached the European Championship final three times in the past (in 1948, 1949 and 1970), but that was not yet possible in the current format. The tournament has existed in its current form since 2002.
Until this week, the best performance of Orange under 19 at the European Championship in the current format was a place in the semi-finals. That was in 2017 in Georgia, with the later internationals Justin Bijlow, Teun Koopmeiners, Noa Lang and Javairô Dilrosun in the team.
In the current selection, AZ midfielder Kees Smit is the great stand-out. He has scored in every match so far and is full of confidence. “In the final I also want to score, so if I get a good ball, I am convinced that it will work,” he said earlier this week.