“He thought the energy disappeared,” Jonker said ESPN in the program Good morning Eredivisie. “I am very surprised about that. In my experience we never had more energy than then. We played our best international match under my leadership against the United States. That was just before I heard that they did not want to continue with me. The perception of Nigel and the people around him differs huge from mine.”
Nigel de Jong defends at home Mexx Meerdink and saw ‘Energie from team sneaking’ under Andries Jonker
“I tried to never transfer my annoyance about not extending my contract to the team,” Jonker emphasizes. “But the moment it is clear that the entire staff will disappear after a tournament, then frogs naturally jump out of the wheelbarrow. I have done the maximum to make them clear that they are not doing it for me, or for the staff, but for themselves.”
Dead man walking
Jonker states that he felt a ‘dead man walking’ during the European Championship in Switzerland. Afterwards he was not hungry for an explanation, just a few hours after the fatal defeat against France. “In that they would tell me the reasons why my contract was not extended. I said that I had no need whatsoever. No, I don’t think we will eat together at Christmas.”
With Jonker as national coach, the Orange was already eliminated this summer in the group stage of the European Championship. According to Jonker, the decision not to extend his contract had an impact on the poor performance of his team on the European final round. The KNVB has appointed Arjan Veurink as the successor to Jonker.