Netherlands Coach Reveals Why He Substituted Matthijs De Ligt

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has explained that he decided to substitute Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt during their recent match against Germany to protect him.

Matthijs de Ligt, 25, was replaced at half-time by Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke after committing mistakes that led to Germany’s first-half goals in the UEFA Nations League.

After the game which ended in a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night, September 10, Koeman said he would have preferred to keep De Ligt on the pitch, but he felt the need to protect him due to a period where all his mistakes seemed to be punished.

The manager mentioned that they have discussed his performance and acknowledged that De Ligt needs to work on certain aspects of his game, but emphasized the importance of not being overly dramatic about it and learning from these moments.

“Of course, I would rather have kept [Matthijs de Ligt] on the pitch,” Koeman told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

“It just looks like he is now in a period where all his mistakes are being punished.

“I gave him a new chance today, but eventually, I protected him by taking him off.”

As it stands in the Netherlands squad, Matthijs de Ligt faces competition from other talented defenders, including Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Micky van der Ven, Jurrien Timber, and the substitute, Van Hecke.

Note that Ake of Manchester City was unfortunately stretchered off during the match with what looked like a hamstring injury. However, that might not guarantee De Ligt a starting place in the team if he fails to impress Koeman.