On July 3 at midnight, the Netherlands will face Romania in the round of 16 of the European Championship. Ahead of the match, Dutch player Simons spoke to UEFA’s official website, stating that the team isn’t thinking about avenging their loss to Austria and emphasizing his awareness of his crucial role in the squad.
In the previous World Cup, Simons was a young substitute player. However, in this Euro tournament, he has played in all three group stage matches, starting in two. Reflecting on his changed role, Simons said, “It feels special. In the Qatar World Cup, I was just a 19-year-old boy, it was my first time being selected for the Dutch national team. For this Euro, I knew I would have a key role, which makes me very happy. As an athlete, my focus is on representing my country with pride.”
“My biggest idol is Neymar. When he was playing for Barcelona, I was growing up in Barcelona. I watched many of his games, and he’s a source of inspiration on the pitch. It’s amazing that I got to play with him at the age of 16. Seeing how much he has given to football is fantastic. He’s an exceptional player.”
Speaking about the upcoming opponent Romania, Simons admitted, “I’ve been following other teams closely, so I know some Romanian players. Of course, we’ll analyze our opponents more thoroughly with the coach.”
“I’m aware that if we advance, we might meet Austria in the quarterfinals. But I don’t want to look that far ahead; our focus now should be on Romania. Especially after seeing their strong performances in the group stage, we can’t underestimate them. Losing to Austria was a wake-up call. One mistake, and you’re out.”
Simons: Netherlands won’t seek revenge on Austria, Neymar is my biggest idol. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/14144.html
