Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman took to social media on Thursday to express heartfelt gratitude to his team and supporters following their heartbreaking Euro 2024 semi-final elimination at the hands of England in Dortmund. The Dutch returned home on Thursday from their base in Wolfsburg after the 2-1 defeat, with Koeman utilizing X (formerly Twitter) to offer a final reflection on the campaign in Germany.
In his message, Koeman acknowledged the painful end to their journey: “Our adventure came to a painful end last night in the semi-final, in a match in which our team gave everything. I am proud of this great group of players and staff, who have worked together with enormous dedication.” He went on to commend the unwavering support from the Oranje faithful: “The support from all Oranje fans was also unparalleled and overwhelming: wherever we went, they coloured the host cities orange. I would like to thank everyone for this wonderful trip, we showed who we are and put the Netherlands back on the map.”
Despite the disappointment of the Euro 2024 exit, Koeman will remain as coach, with the Netherlands now setting their sights on the 2026 World Cup. Before that, they will face off in the Nations League, with their next matches scheduled for September 7th against Bosnia in Eindhoven and September 10th against Germany in Amsterdam.