Chiellini: Netherlands Could Have Avoided the Last-Gasp Goal, Alas De Vrij’s Mistake

In the semi-finals of the European Championship, the Netherlands suffered a heartbreaking last-minute goal from England’s Watkins, losing 1-2 and being eliminated. After the game, Giorgio Chiellini, former Italian international and Juventus star, stated that this was a goal that could have been avoided, but for a mistake by De Vrij.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Chiellini said, “Small details make all the difference. Watkins’ movement was correct, but he was heading towards the corner flag, not posing a threat. What defenders should not do in such situations is try to touch the ball; they just need to occupy the space where the ball is headed towards the far post, allowing the goalkeeper to make an easy save. You don’t need to attempt to block the ball because if it goes through your legs…”

However, in reality, De Vrij chose to stretch his foot out to block Watkins’ shot, which not only failed to prevent the goal but also obstructed the goalkeeper’s view, with the ball ultimately rolling into the far corner.

Chiellini added, “It was a goal that could have been avoided, and I’m very sorry about it, because Stefan (De Vrij) is an outstanding defender, and he has been performing so well in this tournament. However, the difference between winning and losing in football, the difference between lifting the trophy or not, often comes down to these small details.”

In fact, criticism of De Vrij’s mistake came not only from Chiellini. Experts from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and Dutch TV broadcasters also pointed out that, besides not blocking Watkins and affecting the goalkeeper’s view, De Vrij made another error: he should have stayed closer to Watkins, not giving him so much space to comfortably complete his shot.

The 39-year-old Chiellini announced his retirement this year. Three years ago today, he helped Italy lift the Euro 2020 trophy (held in 2021 due to delays) at Wembley Stadium. Chiellini has played 117 times for the Italian national team and won nine Serie A titles during his career at Juventus. As for De Vrij, who currently plays for Inter Milan, he had been performing excellently in previous matches of the European Championship, even being named man of the match by UEFA after scoring in the quarter-final victory over Turkey.