Steven Bergwijn hits back at Ronald Koeman in Netherlands row: ‘That’s not how you treat players’

Steven Bergwijn has fired back at Ronald Koeman, saying he no longer wants to play for the Netherlands coach after he publicly criticised the player’s move from Ajax to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.

Earlier this week, Koeman made it clear Bergwijn is no longer in his plans because he believes the winger’s transfer was based on financial incentive and not sporting challenge. Now Bergwijn has said he is angry that Koeman didn’t speak to him before going public with his comments.

“I don’t even want to play under Koeman anymore,” Bergwijn told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, per BBC Sport.

“I won’t play for someone who portrays me like he has done in the media. He could have called me, heard my side of the story. How can he say such things without talking to me?

“If he had been a committed national coach, he would have called me first. Now I had to hear about it on TV. I’ve had many beautiful moments with him, so this is far too easy and I’m disappointed with him.”

Bergwijn has enjoyed a decent international career with the Oranje, scoring eight times in 35 appearances, despite rarely holding down a place in the starting line-up. Koeman used him twice during Netherlands’ run to the semi-finals at Euro 2024, and neither start yielded longer than 45 minutes on the pitch.

“The book is basically closed,” said Koeman on Tuesday, per the Mirror. “I think that when you’re 26, the ambition should be sporting and not financial.

“He could have stayed at Ajax, that’s not bad either. And I think they pay pretty well there too. Anyway, everyone has a different view and it’s their choice. I personally wouldn’t have made it.”

Bergwijn is not the first player to have his international career come crashing to a halt after moving to Saudi Arabia. Midfielder Jordan Henderson’s long-standing place in the England squad quickly diminished upon switching Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq, a transfer that lasted just half a season before Ajax brought him back to Europe.

The move was too late for Henderson to push himself into Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, the drop in intensity influencing the ageing player’s absence as younger stars such as Kobbie Mainoo and Conor Gallagher emerged.

Bergwijn’s varied career has regularly seen him on the move. Tottenham came calling after he made his name at PSV Eindhoven, but despite a couple of memorable highlights, he failed to remain in the first team and was quickly sold to Ajax.

Spurs fans will remember his brilliant debut goal against Manchester City, or when he netted twice during injury time to secure a stunning 3-2 comeback against Leicester as a positive snapshot of what the player can do.

Koeman, who gave Bergwijn his international debut in 2018, is no stranger to criticising his players in front of the media, having suggested in November 2023 that Ajax striker Brian Brobbey lacked technical ability.

“He had previously publicly expressed an opinion about Brobbey, which was also not nice and which he later said was not smart,” said Bergwijn. “That is not how you treat your own players. If he continues like this, he will lose all his credibility.”