Oranje’s Painful Exit and the Road Ahead.

Well, the summer of three international football tournaments is officially over. Football fans were spoiled with Euro 2024, Copa America 2024 and the Paris Olympics taking place this summer. Sadly, our beloved Oranje suffered another painful exit at Euro 2024, and now we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup with questions and concerns.

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
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For Dutch football fans, Euro 2024 will be remembered as another heartbreakingly familiar tale. Once again, the hopes and dreams of the Oranje faithful were dashed, echoing the bitter disappointments of tournaments past. While it didn’t quite shatter hearts like 1992, 2000, or 2008, this loss stung like 2004 and 2020 with doubts and lots of second guessing.

Despite occasional flashes of brilliance in Euro 2024, the Oranje overall were disappointing and also lucky. The Oranje made it all the way to the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2004, even though they finished third in their group, because of the luck of the draw that saw them face Romania and Turkey in the knockout stages. Lady luck decided to stay at home when they faced England in the Semi-Finals where Holland’s exit revealed systemic issues that have been plaguing the team for some time under Ronald Koeman.

Ronald Koeman’s tactics and lineup decisions made it easy to second guess the man in charge. Koeman managed to get this team to the semi-finals while displaying some flaws in his tactical setup and his failure to adapt as matches unfolded. Some of Koeman’s late substitutions often lacked impact, which raised questions about his ability to influence games positively.

One of the glaring issues throughout Euro 2024 was Holland’s defensive vulnerability. One would expect a team consisting of the likes Virgil Van Dijk, Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Aké, Denzel Dumfries, and Micky van de Ven to be solid defensively. Just like under Louis van Gaal in the previous World Cup, the Oranje were leaking goals and one has to ask if it was because of lapses in concentration or was it from poor tactical awareness. Looking ahead, the defenders have to be more reliable and composed. One can hope that Matthijs de Ligt, who did not play a single second in this tournament, finds his mojo again and be part of the backline in the future.

The Oranje also had issues with up front. Even though this team boasts talented players in the attack, they often relied too heavily on moments of individual brilliance rather than organized attacking teamwork. The attack was predictable as the team relied on star players like Memphis Depay or Cody Gakpo making magic happen over well-structured offensive patterns. However, with an uncertain midfield, the lack of fluidity up front was no big surprise.

All these issues were on display in the semi-final against England. The Oranje enjoyed a dream start after just seven minutes from a great opening goal from Xavi Simons, courtesy of a moment of individual brilliance. However, lady luck would disappear when England were awarded a penalty eleven minutes later when Dumfries caught Harry Kane on his ankle, courtesy of a VAR review that did not notice a Bukayo Saka handball. Kane converted from the spot and Oranje’s performance dropped when Memphis Depay had to be replaced after suffering an injury.

The next fifty-five minutes were a display of all the shortcomings of this team under Koeman with the Ollie Watkins goals in added time dashing all hopes of another European final since 1988. After the final whistle, the second-guessing began such as why were the Oranje reluctant to attack a tired England team that had just played 120 minutes in consecutive knock out stages games? Why did they fail to play out of the back while an unfit Harry Kane not pressing? Why didn’t Gakpo take on Saka whenever he the opportunity presented itself on numerous occasions? Why didn’t Koeman bring on players like Jeremie Frimpong and van de Ven? All these decisions only left fans questioning Koeman’s selection criteria and game management.

With the World Cup two years away, it is a moment for introspection and strategic rebuilding by the KNVB and Koeman, regarding the issues in defense, tactical approaches, and nurturing the young talents coming through. As the legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Failing To Prepare Is Preparing To Fail.” As the focus shifts to the future, the Oranje must learn from their mistakes, improve their defensive weaknesses, and foster a more organized and balanced approach to matches.

I won’t be a negative Nelly, thus I will end this on a positive note. Amidst the disappointment, there were some positives from Euro 2024. Bart Verbruggen and Xavi Simons emerged as bright spots for the Oranje. Verbruggen’s performances in goal showed promise and perhaps the 21-year-old will be the starting goalkeeper for the future while Simons showcased his potential as one of the faces of a new generation of talent ready to step up. The backline is still full of talented players, who just need to be better coached. Hopefully, Brian Brobbey and Joshua Zirkzee, or another other up and coming player answers the call as the next established goal scorer since Wout Weghorst isn’t getting any younger. Overall, fans have every reason to be optimistic and hope for brighter days ahead.

Damaged Barça hire damaged Hansi Flick.

 

With Xavi’s tenure as Barça coming to an unfortunate end, President Joan Laporta already made his choice on who should be Xavi’s successor, by hiring Hansi Flick. It was a marriage of convenience between the club and manager; A damaged club hiring a damaged Hansi Flick.

It was the worst kept secret that Laporta was looking to hire a German manager to run our beloved Blaugrana. Laporta just missed out on Hansi Flick in 2021 before hiring Xavi to manage Barça. Lady luck shined on Laporta when Hansi Flick was now available to take the job following Germany’s disastrous performance at the 2022 World Cup and subsequent matches. Flick’s stock was absolutely at an all-time low and Barça was in need of a manager to get them back among the elite clubs in Europe.

This is not uncommon ground for FC Barcelona. Barça has a storied history of willing to gamble on managers whose philosophies align with the club's philosophy, even if their previous experiences were not always successful. One notable example is Frank Rijkaard, who took over as FC Barcelona's manager in the summer of 2003. Before joining Barça, Rijkaard had been let go at Sparta Rotterdam after they were relegated in his lone season there in 2002. Even though his managerial career consisted of being the Netherlands national team manager from 1998 to 2000 along with his only stint at club level with Sparta Rotterdam, he guided Barça to resurgence. The Blaugrana won two La Liga titles and their second UEFA Champions League in 2006.

The man who guided Barça’s Dream Team, Johan Cruyff, to their first Champions League crown also came to the club with a somewhat damaged reputation as a manager. Although Ajax won two Dutch cups and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup during the mid to late 80s, Cruyff was unable to steer Ajax Amsterdam to a Dutch league title and subsequently resigned in January 1988 as Ajax struggled. A few months later, Barça hired the football legend and the rest, as they say, is history. Cruyff’s arrival ushered in a successful era for the Blaugrana where he implemented his groundbreaking "Total Football" philosophy at Barcelona, which revolutionized the club's style of play and laid the groundwork for its future success.

                         

Luis Enrique is another prime example of a manager whose managerial career before Barcelona was not spectacular and somewhat damaged. He lasted one season coaching Roma without winning any major trophies. However, after taking over as Barcelona manager in 2014, Luis Enrique led the club to an unprecedented treble in his first season, capturing La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, and amassed a total of nine trophies in his three seasons at the club.

                          

However, not all damaged managers have been successful after taking the reins at Barcelona. One noteworthy example would be Louis van Gaal. When van Gaal was first hired by the club in 1997, he was considered one of the top managers in the world following his accomplishments with Ajax. His first stint as Barça manager saw the club win consecutive league titles but failed in Europe. However, when he was hired by Barça again in 2002, it was fresh from his unsuccessful stint as the Netherlands manager who failed to qualify for the World Cup. The second era of van Gaal with the Blaugrana lasted a few months before he was fired due to the club’s woeful league position. Then there is Quique Setién, who joined Barcelona midway through the 2019-2020 season without much of a successful reputation. He had been hired after leaving Real Betis where they regressed from 6th to 10th in the league standings, and he tried his best to showcase his commitment to the Blaugrana's possession-based style of football. However, Setién only lasted a few months without winning any major silverware and will forever be remembered as the manager in charge during that 8-2 defeat to Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich side in the 2020 Champions League Quarter-Finals.

                          

Barça has a history of hiring managers based on their potential to align with the club's footballing philosophy and their ability to meet the high expectations of both the club and its fans. Hansi Flick’s hiring is a slight deviation from Barça’s DNA, where the hope is he will mutate that DNA with the German football DNA to create a new successful formula for success. Hopefully his hiring will usher in a new successful era for the Blaugrana, and thereby end years of frustration in Europe while also navigating the club to more success in domestic competitions. 

What’s Barça’s Next Step?

Barça will end this season trophyless and there’s still uncertainty about where this club is heading. Is there an actual long-term plan or just more last-minute decisions? Some clarity would be nice so fans can be ready for either success or more agony for the near future.

FC Barcelona’s 2023-2024 season has been a disappointment. What began as a season full of hope and promise is now ending with doubt and dissatisfaction about the club and its direction. Barça and Xavi winning La Liga last season was a remarkable achievement and many felt that the club was heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, the club took one step forward by finally advancing to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, but it also took a few steps back as they suffered domestically. Madrid won the league title while defeating the Blaugrana in both league games and the Blaugrana failed to win either the Copa del Rey or the Supercopa. Perhaps Barça made the mistake of thinking that success would repeat itself and maybe underestimated how much better Madrid and other La Liga clubs would be this season.

FC Barcelona is a club in need of stability and a long-term plan, yet this club still appears to be operating on a day-to-day basis. Xavi was supposed to leave, and now he’s staying to manage the team again before he leaves when his contract expires next season.  Will players listen to him when they know he is leaving? How can the club plan for the future when they will be transitioning from Xavi to another manager? Do you sign the players that Xavi wants or save that money for the future manager? Do you also get rid of players Xavi doesn’t want, like Vitor Roque, or does President Joan Laporta let the next manager make those decisions?

Laporta has to inform the Blaugrana faithful of his plans going forward. Does he already have Xavi’s replacement in mind, or will it be a last-minute decision? Can this club sign players and get them registered in time while they juggle the financial requirements of La Liga? The financial situation of this club would scare off anyone interested in coaching this team. With the emergence of Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, perhaps there should be more faith in the youth and not waste money on expensive signings. For example, Ferran Torres cost Barça €55 million while Ferran Jugtla was sold for €5 million. Ferran Torres has scored 25 goals at his time with the club while the latter has scored 26 goals in Belgium. Was it worth it?

Furthermore, we have seen different directors and advisors leave the club during the second era of Laporta. This doesn’t paint a good picture of stability. Until the Super League becomes a reality, the focus should be on a proper structure and not dreams of a financial windfall from a nonexistent league. It’s time for the club to adopt a clear plan going forward and not continue in this path of uncertainty.