Johan Derksen: ‘You wonder why the KNVB did not appoint him as head coach of the Netherlands national team’

Johan Derksen has his doubts about the appointment of Xavi Hernández as head coach of the Netherlands national team, as he revealed on Today Inside. According to De Snor, a far more logical option was available closer to home.

He means Mark van Bommel, now Belgium head coach. The 49-year-old was available last summer, but the KNVB did not rank him among their leading candidates. In Belgium, Van Bommel now seems to be winning plenty of admirers.

“Mark van Bommel is going down well there,” Derksen begins, pointing to the revived Kevin De Bruyne. Belgium's star man made it clear in the national media last week that he is very pleased with Van Bommel's way of working.

“Afterwards, you do ask yourself why the KNVB did not take him,” Derksen continues. “Then they always have all sorts of reasons why they do not do that.”

“Xavi seems to me a very decent man, honestly. I do not know who picks the line-up, but he probably does not even know them yet,” said Derksen, who also cannot imagine that the experiment with Teun Koopmeiners at the back came from Xavi.

At the time of the broadcast, Belgium were still 0-1 down against France. The match eventually finished 4-1 in favour of the French.

Belgium have six points from four matches in Group A of the Nations League. France lead the group with ten points, followed by Italy on seven. The top two go through to the quarter-finals, so the final two group matches are crucial for Belgium.