Football

Koeman has excluded the player from the Netherlands national team due to his transfer to the Saudi Arabian league

Netherlands national team head coach Ronald Koeman has announced that he will not be calling up winger Steven Bergwijn after the player opted to continue his career in Saudi Arabia. 

«The book is basically closed to him. He knows what I think about this. When you are 26, your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are choices that players make.

I have never been in that situation, because I could go to Barcelona. He could have stayed at Ajax, that’s not bad, is it? You have to respect that choice, but personally I wouldn’t [have moved], — said Koeman on press-conference.

It was recently confirmed that the 26-year-old Bergwijn has transferred from Ajax to Al-Ittihad, with the transfer fee exceeding €21 million. Bergwijn has scored eight goals in 35 appearances for the Netherlands national team.