Dutch national coach Ronald Koeman said there was a more defensive approach against Morocco to give the country a better chance of winning, rather than out of fear of the opponent, after his side were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup on Monday.
Koeman made no apologies for using five defenders, even as he expects a barrage of criticism after the 3-2 shootout defeat following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Koeman, who previously faced censure after deviating from the traditional ‘Dutch school’ of attacking football, felt playing with five at the back was the right strategy to beat the North Africans.
“With this defensive approach we gave away much less than during the (group) matches,” said the coach, who added that he would decide his future with the team after considering the team’s elimination.
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«That was positive, but we were also less attacking. You can think of the tactics all you want, but we gave away a lot less against a team that is much stronger than Sweden and Tunisia. And if I had to do it again, I would do it again in the same way,» said Koeman.
“I also know that if Morocco had not equalized with that late goal, there would be all kinds of compliments for me as a Dutch coach, but now I am probably going to be scolded for choosing five defenders, but again, I believe it was necessary,” he added.
Koeman said he had discussed the approach with his players and they agreed.
“You will criticize me, and that is your right, but you are watching football from the sidelines,” he told reporters.
«I’m in the team. I knew what needed to be improved. This is how I improved it. And again, if I had to do it again, I would have done exactly the same. It wasn’t about being scared. It wasn’t about that at all. Why scared? I mean, we had three strikers on the pitch,» he added in a testy exchange.
«This is about a better defensive position, not out of fear, but based on an analysis of the opposition, and we can continue to discuss this until tomorrow evening. You have your opinion; with all due respect, that’s fine. But I have a different opinion,» Koeman added.
Morocco advanced to the last 16 meeting with Canada in Houston on Saturday.
Published on June 30, 2026
