‘Natural leadership’: Koeman softens hard edges but still set on Dutch glory

Van links naar rechts (From left to right) is the song favoured by the Netherlands fans this Euros. It has nothing to do with the current political climate in the Netherlands, which is shifting more and more to the far right, but is simply a party hit which has a massive orange crowd jumping from left to right. It has been seen on the streets of Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich and is sure to be seen again in Dortmund before the semi-final against England.

After the Oranje beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday night to reach the last four, the players and coaching staff joined in on the pitch at the Olympiastadion. The coach, Ronald Koeman, did too, although the 61-year-old looked a bit awkward as he stumbled around, his hair flopping up and down.

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It is not the image he has honed over the years. He likes to be seen as a no-nonsense coach nobody can mess with or laugh at, especially not the media. Always in control, never showing or admitting any weaknesses.

And yet here we are, the Netherlands through to a first European Championship semi-final for 20 years with a slightly modified Koeman. It is not that he has refused to change during 25 years as a coach. He has adjusted to a new generation by not being as strict as he has been in the past, giving them more responsibility. It is doubtful whether an earlier version of Koeman the coach would have allowed Memphis Depay to wear a headband or given Joey Veerman another chance so soon after he was hauled off after 34 minutes against Austria.

They are two examples of a more empathetic, fatherly approach from Koeman, although he does not have that many midfielders to choose from after five injuries in that department before the Euros, including to the Barcelona playmaker Frenkie de Jong. But Veerman was full of praise for the way Koeman had spoken to him after the substitution. Stefan de Vrij, who played for Koeman at Feyenoord 12 years ago, has said during the tournament that the coach has taken “enormous steps” to improve his communication with players individually as well as in team talks.

His whole life Koeman has aimed to be the best. His youth coach Ger van Gelder remembers going to their house to convince Ronald and his older brother, Erwin, to come to training at the amateur club GRC. ‘They were just small boys, under 10 years old,” Van Gelder says. “Erwin hesitated. He loved playing with his friends and winning every match 10-0, 12-0. Ronald thought they should go. He knew that we were a more ambitious club. Their father, Martin [who played for the Netherlands once], said: ‘Either they both go or they both stay.’ Ronald said ‘well then let’s go’ and Erwin went along with that.”

Hans Leber, a former youth teammate, says: “Erwin was clearly a great talent, a midfielder who decided games, and was always part of the Dutch under-age teams. Ronald never came close to those teams for a long time. That bothered him. He was very competitive but wasn’t seen then, quite literally, because he was quite small. But when people said to their father: ‘That Erwin can play football’, he would say: ‘Yes, that is true, but Ronald will get further.’”

That is exactly what happened. Ronald went on to become a more successful player, winning more trophies and personal accolades, though they shared the Euro 1988 triumph side by side. And it is still Ronald calling the shots with Erwin as his assistant. It just would not work the other way around.

Koeman’s natural authority was respected by Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez at Barcelona, as his former assistant Alfred Schreuder recalls. “One of the first times that all internationals were back on the training pitch at Barcelona, ​​Messi, Suarez, [Arturo] Vidal and [Jordi] Alba arrived a few minutes after training was supposed to have started. Ronald turned to Gerard Piqué and asked: ‘What is going on?’ Piqué replied: ‘This is normal.’ He immediately called everyone together and said that training has to start at 11am and from then it did. He has natural leadership, you can’t teach that.”

The two brothers have gone through difficult times. Both have had heart surgery while their father died from a heart attack 11 years ago. Ronald’s wife, Bartina, revealed just before Euro 2024 that her breast cancer had returned but that it was under control. They agreed Ronald should go to the tournament. “You think about it at all times so the Euros are also a distraction,” he said.

Koeman arrived in Germany feeling he had already proven himself as a coach, yet there is a lot at stake for him in a country where he had his best summer of his sporting life in 1988, winning first the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven in Stuttgart and then the Euros in Munich.

Getting to the Euros final by knocking out England would be a big step closer to the recognition he desires. In England he is remembered for a good spell at Southampton and a terrible one at Everton, where he is still seen as one of the reasons the club is where it is now.

Reviews in the Netherlands are also mixed. His first spell as national team coach was very successful as he beat France, Germany and England on the way to reaching the Nations League final in 2019 before securing qualification for Euro 2020. However, before the tournament took place Barcelona came calling and he quit. After being fired by Barça he was back in charge of the Oranje in December 2022.

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He has not yet reached the same levels during his second spell in charge and, after the 3-2 defeat by Austria in the last group game, he was asked whether he would considering resigning. Two victories later – the Netherlands beating Romania 3-0 and then Turkey – the mood has changed somewhat. The discussion now has led to two camps back home, with one saying he deserves praise for sticking by the players who failed against Austria and making the right substitutions against Turkey, while the other thinks he is simply lucky. It is not dissimilar to the discourse in England about Gareth Southgate.

It has led to an old quote from his former assistant coach at Feyenoord, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, resurfacing: “At Feyenoord we said that when Koeman trips he falls over a golden Rolex.” The Netherlands, who finished third in their group, have ended up on the “easier” side of the draw, although that is not how Koeman sees it. “There are no ‘small countries’ in football any more,” Koeman said during his short press conference after the win over Turkey. “We shouldn’t think we haven’t had a big opponent yet because I find that disrespectful. Also to Turkey.”

And with that, the cuddly jumping bear who had been dancing on the pitch was gone. Back to business. The way Koeman likes it.