The Netherlands national football team encountered significant travel chaos on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, en route to their Euro 2024 semi-final match against England in Dortmund. Originally scheduled to travel by train from Wolfsburg at 16:00, the Dutch team was forced to alter their plans due to a track blockage. This unforeseen circumstance led to the cancellation of their planned train journey and a switch to air travel, with a flight departing from Braunschweig at 20:20.As a result of the travel disruption, the pre-match press conference featuring Dutch coach Ronald Koeman and defender Nathan Aké, initially scheduled for 19:45, was cancelled. The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced that an interview with Koeman about the game would be distributed later by UEFA.Despite the setback, England’s coach Gareth Southgate remained optimistic about the situation, stating, ‘We don’t play until 9 p.m. tomorrow so there’s plenty of time. I’m sure they’ll still get dinner when they arrive.’ Southgate believes the disruption will not significantly impact the Dutch team’s performance in the semi-final.The match, set for Wednesday at 21:00 in Borussia Dortmund stadium, is highly anticipated. Both teams have had different paths to the semi-finals, with the Netherlands losing to Austria before winning their next two matches, while England had a challenging group stage before eliminating Switzerland in the quarter-finals.Southgate has urged his team to ‘step up’ their performance, acknowledging that their current form may not be sufficient to secure a victory against the Netherlands, who are ranked seventh in the world. The game is expected to be a colorful affair, with up to 75,000 Dutch fans anticipated to attend, potentially outnumbering English supporters by four to one.
Key points
- The Netherlands team had to switch from train to air travel due to a track blockage, disrupting their Euro 2024 semi-final preparations.
- The pre-match press conference with coach Ronald Koeman was cancelled due to the travel delays.
- England’s coach Gareth Southgate believes the disruption won’t significantly affect the Dutch team’s performance.
- The semi-final match between Netherlands and England is scheduled for Wednesday at 21:00 in Dortmund.
