Andries Jonker declined to point a blaming finger at the KNVB after Orange’s painful elimination from the European Championship. The departing national coach remained evasive when questioned about the unrest surrounding his departure.
Orange lost 2-5 to France in Basel on Sunday, ending their European Championship adventure in the group stage. With defeats against England and the French, Jonker’s team’s tournament has failed.
That failed European Championship was, in a sense, foreshadowed after the football association announced in January that it would stop working with Jonker after the European Championship. There was much surprise about the timing of the decision. Louis van Gaal said earlier this week that the KNVB had abandoned Jonker.
But Jonker had no intention of lashing out at the football association at his last press conference as national coach. When asked whether all the unrest since the announcement of his departure had influenced the team’s performance, Jonker bit his tongue.
“I have decided not to say anything about the KNVB today,” Jonker said in FC Basel’s St. Jakob Park. When a journalist then said that statement already said enough, Jonker nodded. “And I’ll leave it at that.”
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Jonker also stuck to the answer that he did not want to say anything about the KNVB in follow-up questions. And when asked if he would have wanted to do anything differently in his last months as national coach, he also did not want to give an extensive answer.
“It’s only an hour after the match… I still have to take stock of what I think of it afterwards. What is my legacy at Orange? I will also take stock of that later.”
Jonker did say that he is saying goodbye to Orange with a sense of pride. The Amsterdam coach felt that his players showed what they can do in the first half against France, despite not managing to win by the required three goals.
“We fought like orange lions and got France faltering,” said Jonker. “The players have shown that they understood our plans of the last few days. During the break we saw opportunities to make it happen. So the fact that it didn’t work out is a big disappointment.”
After his last match, Jonker addressed the players and staff in a circle on the field. “I have spoken to many people. These are people I like and love.”
On the NOS, Jonker said that he is “thinking about” telling his story about the KNVB at a later time. “But I am wise to say nothing about the KNVB today,” said Jonker.